The USDA Farm Service Agency reports more than 18,900 operations, or 75% of all dairy farms with established production history, are enrolled in the Dairy Margin Coverage program for the 2021 calendar year. This is a 50% increase from the just over 50% of all dairy operations that were enrolled for 2020. Part of this […]

Impacts to Spring-Planted Crops Could Spiral into Fall-Planted Crops as Sept. 30 Crop Insurance Deadline Approaches The end-of-2020 surge in commodity prices capped what was already a tumultuous year. Corn prices in December 2020 reached $4.00 per bushel, the highest since 2013, and continue to rise, reaching above $5.00 per bushel. Soybean prices rose to […]

USDA-NASS’ June 30 Acreage Report is expected to update supply expectations, and analysts think weather uncertainties held producers back from indicating optimistic planting intentions in March The much-anticipated June 30 Acreage Report has the potential to shift commodities positively or negatively given the current conditions of grain markets. Looking back at 2019 and 2020, those […]

Drought’s Impact on Pasture and Rangeland Pasture and range conditions are starting the summer season off in a bad spot and unless most of the country sees much-needed moisture, it will only get worse. Virtually all of the Western U.S. is experiencing some level of drought conditions, with D4 (exceptional drought) and D3 (extreme drought) […]

To say 2020 was difficult for everyone is an understatement. One bright spot though for farmers was the massive global commodity buying spree at the end of the year. This unexpected increase in exports – particularly of corn and soybeans — pushed demand for U.S. commodities way up, bringing ending stocks for both commodities down […]

Though last month’s winter storm impacted the cattle and hog markets, recent declines in slaughter numbers are not tied solely to the weather. Fewer hogs available and surging demand have been underpinning hog and pork market values. When examining hog slaughter, strong January slaughter has been largely in line with the start of 2020, and […]

Agriculture and sustainability are two words often said together these days. It seems like almost every month, more companies of various sizes across many industries are announcing new sustainability commitments, along with sustainability programs and markets that farmers and ranchers can participate in. Advancements in technology and increased capital have provided farmers more opportunities to […]

USDA’s Risk Management Agency on January 19 announced changes to the Livestock Risk Protection insurance program for swine, fed cattle and feeder cattle. These improvements build upon changes implemented by RMA over the past year. Effective January 20, these LRP enhancements are part of a larger RMA effort to provide additional, improved options for farmers. […]

After all that was 2020, the AFBF Economics Team previews what 2021 could look like for livestock and crop markets. The headline that took up almost all of 2020 was COVID-19. With a new year ahead of us, we turn our attention to what 2021 will have in store for crops and livestock; the outlook […]

Recently announced by USDA’s Risk Management Agency, the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is a federal crop insurance product available alongside the underlying crop insurance policy for 31 spring-planted crops. Crops eligible when coverage starts for the 2021 crop year include corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, peanuts, rice, oats, barley, hybrid corn seed, popcorn, silage sorghum, canola, […]