Third Quarter U.S. Agricultural Trade Outlook 

The U.S. agriculture trade deficit is growing.   The United States has operated under a trade deficit for decades, but historically, agriculture was an exception. However, according to the third quarter release of the USDA's agricultural trade

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Farm Bill 2023: Legislative Updates for Farmers 

What is the farm bill?  The farm bill is a collection of legislation that governs agriculture and food policy in the United States. The first farm bill was passed in 1933 and included only 24 pages. In 2018, the farm bill was 529 pages long.  

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Five Ways To Increase Farm Profitability 

Input costs are up, commodity prices are down, and now is the time to assess your bottom line.   The USDA expects a decrease in farm sector profits this year. Net farm income is forecast at $136.9 billion—a decrease of nearly 16 percent compar

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Second Quarter U.S. Agricultural Trade Outlook in 2023 

The U.S. economy is entering a period of growth and persistent inflation, according to the USDA’s second quarter farm trade outlook report.  Economic challenges are emerging among tightened monetary conditions, with the Consumer Price Index cl

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How Do the Five C's Affect the Farm Loan Application Process

Learn more about the five Cs of credit lenders use to evaluate your farm loan application.   The five Cs of credit is a common technique lenders use to evaluate your farm loan application and include character, capital, capacity, collateral, an

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How WOTUS Affects Farmers and Ranchers 

What landowners need to know about the significance, impact, and regulatory reform of Waters of the United States (WOTUS).   Farmers and ranchers know more than most how diverted surface water and wetlands provide important functions to ecosyste

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What Would New 'Product of USA' Food Label Requirements Mean for American Agriculture?

The USDA Recently Proposed New Food Labeling Requirements. Will They Help or Hinder the American Farmer? On March 6, USDA secretary Tom Vilsack announced several new initiatives to “recenter U.S. agriculture” and provide support for small to

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Understanding Your Agricultural Balance Sheet 

What is an agricultural balance sheet and why is it important?   An agricultural balance sheet is essentially the “pulse check” on your operation. Agricultural lenders use it as a tool to identify and determine the financial resilience of yo

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Three Factors Shifting the 2023 Agricultural Trade Outlook 

Learn why the USDA expects softening demand across commodities in the first outlook for U.S. agricultural trade in 2023.  American agricultural trade entered 2023 in a strong position. Both U.S. agricultural export and imports reached record le

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Report Recap: The 2023 Farm Income Forecast

Read highlights from the first USDA farm income forecast report in 2023. Farmers ended the year in a solid financial position in 2022. In the first farm income forecast report in 2023, the USDA reports farm income increasing by nearly 16 percent

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How Farmers Can Prepare in the 2023 Agricultural Economy  

AgAmerica’s annual economic report is here and predicts a positive outlook for the U.S. farm economy in 2023—but elevated risk remains.   American farmers and ranchers ended 2022 in strong financial position, despite higher production costs

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Fourth Quarter Update: Trade Outlook for U.S. Agriculture in 2023 

Uncertainty in the global economy is leading to a contracted outlook for U.S. ag exports in 2023.  U.S. farm exports seem to be feeling the impacts of a volatile economic future, according to the last quarterly outlook for U.S. agricultural trad

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Report Highlights from the 2022 Farm Income Forecast 

Learn more about farm income in 2022 and the factors impacting it.   The most recent USDA Farm Income Forecast predicts a net farm income increase of $34B (30 percent) from February’s projections due to increases in commodity values and cash

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