commodity prices

The USDA released new farm income forecast numbers, and while they're not drastically different from previous reports this year, they seem to take on more meaning the closer we get to the end of the calendar year.  Carrie Litkowski, senior economist with USDA Economic Research Service, said farm income is on the decline.  ...

This has been a challenging year for the farming community, at least on the national scene.  Is that the same here in the Northwest?   Pat Hatzenbuehler, Ag economist at the University of Idaho says the latest Ag economy barometer shows farmers are pessimistic about the way things look now, and where the farm economy is headed into the future.  And he said ...

Earlier this year, Colby Field joined the University of Idaho’s Extension program as a risk manager.  Filed will be based in Moscow, but will help food producers across the entire gem state.  He said his goal in this new role is to try and develop either processes or government programs or private programs that allow to minimize risk.   “Because most fa...

Surviving a down economy is challenging, but for the farming community it can be even more difficult.  Todd Stencel, a farm business management professor at South Central College in Minnesota, has a few Tips for Surviving in a Down Economy.  He said...

It’s hard to find a lot of optimism in the grain markets these days.  Stephen Nicholson, global sector strategist for grains and oilseeds at Rabobank, said it’s unfortunate that the gloom may stay in the markets for a while.   “I think we’...

Despite a rise month over month in what livestock producers received price wise for their commodities, USDA's most recent agricultural prices report, which covered the month of July, shows a total decline in prices received by growers.  The 3.4% increa...

The outlook for agricultural retailers is generally favorable for 2023, following a year of record profits in 2022.  However, the sector faces emerging risks that could depress profit margins and challenge traditional business models in the years ahead.  Lower l...

The USDA is forecasting that farm commodity prices will drop in the year ahead and production input costs will stay or even move higher.  For producers, the question is: when/if input prices follow those output prices lower.   “We are forecasting that fertilizer and feed expenses will decline in 2023, yet they will remain high," noted USDA economist Carrie Litkowski. She added expenses for m.

According to the latest USDA Ag prices reports, American producers received almost 10% less price wise for their commodities in total in January.  The 9.7% month-over-month decline in prices received for all producers was the same number indicated for prices within the livestock index.    ...

Will the nation's farm sector generate yet another record amount of net income in 2023 as it's done the last two years?   “No, but the expectation is it will still be an above average year.”   USDA chief economist Seth Meyer told the USDA Outlook Forum last week that he expects net cash farm income this year to be $150.5 billion, which, if ...