The U.S. Department of Agriculture has raised its forecast for U.S. farm income in 2026, but the improved headline number masks a more difficult financial picture for farmers as production expenses climb, debt increases and government payments account for a growing share of sector income.
USDA Data
USDA Turning to Satellites, Tech to Improve Crop Reports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a pilot project that will rely more heavily on technology as part of a broader effort to improve its closely watched U.S. crop acreage and yield estimates, Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday, as the agency faces mounting criticism from farmers and traders over the reliability of government agricultural data.
USDA Reports Largest-Ever Combined Corn & Soy Planted Acreage
USDA found an additional 1.4 million planted acres for both the corn and soybean crops to increase the corn crop slightly and boost the soybean crop to the largest in U.S. history. The combined planted acreage of the corn and soybean crops is now 183.5 million acres, more than 3 million acres higher than the previous combined crop record.
US Cropland Tops $6,000 per Acre for First Time in 2026
U.S. farmland values continued to rise this year, with the average value of cropland topping $6,000 for the first time, while pastureland reached $2,000 an acre. Overall, farm real estate in the U.S. — cropland and pasture combined — averaged $4,500 per acre this year, up $150 an acre from last year, or about 3.4%.
USDA to Fund $25 Million Sterile Fly Facility in Arizona
Reuter’s Tom Polansek reported that, “the U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend $25 million on a facility in Arizona to disperse sterile flies used to combat the flesh-eating livestock pest New World screwworm, the agency said on Wednesday.” “The facility will expand Washington’s efforts to control the spread of screwworms as the USDA plans to […]
Farmers Spent $1.4 Billion More on Diesel During Planting Season
Successful Farming’s Mariah Squire reported that, “a new study by Joint Economic Committee Democrats found that farmers of key crops in the U.S. spent $1.4 billion more on diesel fuel during the 2025–2026 planting season than they did last season.” “The study, released last Thursday, analyzed corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice planted by U.S. […]
Corn Conditions Drop Amid Heatwave
AgWeb’s Tyne Morgan reported that, “triple-digit heat indices swept across the Midwest and Plains late last week and into the weekend, and the damage is already showing up in the numbers. USDA’s weekly Crop Progress report released Monday showed the steepest week-over-week decline in corn good to excellent condition ratings for this point in the […]
USDA Moves Forward with Mandatory Relocation Despite Pushback
Meatingplace’s Peter Voskamp reported that, “the USDA Rural Development Mission Area recently announced that it is moving forward with its declared intention to move nearly 3,000 members of its workforce out of the Washington DC area in order to ‘modernize operations, increase accountability, and ensure federal resources are positioned where they can deliver the greatest […]
Product of USA Label Gains Momentum with Meat and Poultry Companies
Quality Assurance & Food Safety Magazine’s Jacqueline Mitchell reported that, “ten meat and poultry companies have recently adopted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) voluntary Product of USA label, identifying meat, poultry and egg products from animals that are born, raised, harvested and processed in the United States. USDA launched a nationwide awareness campaign about […]
USDA Revises Beef Export Data, Lowers Sales by 90%
Reuter’s Tom Polansek reported that, “the U.S. Department of Agriculture dramatically lowered its reported beef export sales on Thursday, sparking fresh concerns about the quality of the agency’s data after staffing losses as part of the Trump administration’s reshaping of the federal government.” AgroLatam’s Marco Díaz Collins reported that, “the revised report showed that exporters […]
Unions Claim USDA Overhaul Will Gut Agency
Reuter’s Daniel Wiessner reported that, “a group of unions, nonprofits and U.S. municipalities has asked a federal judge to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s planned reorganization, including the relocation of more than 2,500 employees based in the District of Columbia.” “The coalition of plaintiffs said in a filing in San Francisco federal court late […]
USDA releases June 2026 Acreage Report and Grain Stocks
Progressive Farmer reported, “U.S. farmers planted 95.3 million acres of corn and 85.4 million acres of soybeans in spring 2026, USDA said on Tuesday, unchanged from March’s estimate and within the range of pre-report estimates.” “Tuesday’s USDA Acreage estimates were neutral for corn, neutral for soybeans and slightly bullish for wheat, said DTN Lead Analyst […]
USDA to Fund $500 Million Expansion of Domestic Fertilizer Production
Reuters’ Karl Plume reported that “U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced $500 million in new funding on Wednesday to expand domestic fertilizer production after the Iran war drove up prices.” “Fertilizer prices have soared since the U.S. and Israel launched the war, as more than 30% of global exports were caught in Iran’s near-total closure […]
US Won’t Renew USMCA, Seeks Improvements in Yearly Reviews
The Trump administration will not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement in its current form, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday. The agreement has been a boon to farm country, but lawmakers and the dairy industry say there’s room for improvement.
Iran Could Buy US Ag Products with Frozen Funds, Trump Admin Says
American farmers could see commodity sales to Iran under the negotiations going on between the U.S., Iran and mediators that just wrapped up in Switzerland.
Farm Production Costs to Hit Record Highs in 2027, USDA Says
USDA’s new 2027 cost of production forecast reveals farmers may not see meaningful relief from elevated production costs anytime soon. The projections show total production costs continuing to rise for most major crops, pushing all commodities to record highs — including corn at $952 per acre, soybeans at $701, sorghum at $477 and wheat at $428.
US Winter Wheat Crop Smallest Since 1965, USDA Says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday cut its U.S. winter wheat crop outlook by 2% from a month earlier as a harsh drought in the Plains cut its hard red winter wheat production view to the lowest since 1957 and total winter wheat production to the lowest since 1965.
New World Screwworm Found 31 Miles from US Border
A devastating parasitic fly — the New World Screwworm — that eats warm-blooded animals alive and could cause millions of dollars in economic damage to the U.S. economy has been found in a young sheep in Mexico within 31 miles of the U.S. border, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday.
76% of USDA Researchers Tell Union They Won’t Relocate
USDA relocated hundreds of ERS and NIFA positions to Kansas City in 2019, but about 85% of impacted employees quit their jobs or retired, rather than relocate. The American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, which represents USDA researchers, expects to see similar results this year. An internal survey conducted by the union found that 76% of its members have indicated they are not planning to relocate.
US Imports of Brazilian Beef Surged in First Quarter
Brazilian beef exports to the U.S. are booming, according to monthly USDA trade data released Tuesday. Brazilian meat packers shipped $795 million in beef to the U.S. in the first three months of this year, up 21% from a year ago. Last year marked a record for Brazilian beef shipments to the U.S., topping $1.75 billion, up 39% from 2024.