Farm Economy
In the third quarter, farm income and loan repayment rates weakened.
A trifecta of high input prices, high interest rates, and depressed crop prices have Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) bringing focus to the economic stress for farmers.
“The agricultural economy is inherently cyclical, and ag lenders are navigating the changing conditions across the sectors they serve,” said Jackson Takach, chief economist of Farmer Mac.
Bayer’s $63 billion purchase in 2018 of seeds and pesticides maker Monsanto was a long-term bet on robust growth in farming supplies which has so far misfired.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) wins Majority Leader race. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was eliminated on the first ballot. And Thune beat Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) 29-24 on the second ballot.
Yes, the Fed is cutting interest rates but the agency can only influence mid- and long-term rates. Concerns about inflation are pushing those rates back up again.
Which Presidential Candidate Is More Likely to Tame Inflation or Support Farm Policies and Biofuels?
Ahead of the election, the October Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked economists which presidential candidate will be better for agriculture on taming inflation, providing more certainty on farm policy, as well as more likely to support biofuels policies.
The October Monthly Monitor reflects cautious optimism in certain areas of agriculture, marked by export strengths and potential price recoveries, but shadowed by long-term rebuilding challenges, weather dependencies and the impact of the upcoming election.
When ag equipment manufacturers start shedding union line workers, shuttering plants and shifting factories to Mexico, and there’s a glut of used equipment covering dealer lots, you know the tide is quickly turning.
Two land sales last week came in at a whopping $17,000 per acre, and one in Iowa topped $20,0000 just this week.