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, […]

As we head further into fall, cattle inventories continue their return to relative normal, with most of the kinks from COVID-19 slaughter facility disruptions having worked themselves out. We see record cattle on feed, but a return to normal seasonal movements in total inventories. We have seen larger placements driven by positive margins and dryer […]

USDA recently announced details of a new $14 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP 2, that will provide direct payments to help farmers and ranchers struggling with COVID-19-related losses. This second program follows more than $10 billion in support provided to cattle, hog, dairy, non-specialty crop, specialty crop and other producers to offset COVID-19 related losses […]

August Crop Surveys Indicate Record Corn and Soybean Yields But Weather Surprises Suggest Yields Will Decrease In August, USDA’s Crop Production Report estimated record corn and soybean yields based on the data collected in producer surveys as of August 1. For the 2020 crop year, USDA estimates U.S. corn yield to be 181.8 bushels per acre, […]