farm

The cost of doing business in agriculture was already high before the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which spiked fertilizer and fuel prices. Now, making any money this season may require farmers to cut back on certain resources.

As SNAP cuts remain in place in this new farm bill, advocates warn of ripple effects across rural communities and local farm economies.

Missouri’s net farm income is projected to decline by 6% this year due to a reduction in livestock receipt.

MU Extension compiles the rates contractors charge to do farm work for a better understanding of how average costs look around the state.

Higher costs and lower prices are squeezing farmers out of profitability. That’s led many to file for bankruptcy as a last resort to find aid.

The initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, paid producers for fruits, vegetables and proteins that were then distributed at no cost to families in need - was eliminated amid federal spending cuts.

The federal funding package to reopen the government included a one-year extension of certain 2018 Farm Bill programs. Several expired Sept. 30 or would have been null by the end of the year.

Net farm income in Missouri is expected to increase this year and exceed the forecasted gains projected earlier in the year.

The government shutdown stops USDA from administering farm subsidies, raising the specter of growing farm foreclosures. It also delays a bailout President Trump had promised for farmers impacted by tariffs.

Missouri Farm Bureau leaders thanked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for canceling subsidies for solar power generation.