Net farm income projected to fall in 2026 - Talk Business & Politics
Net farm income for the 2026 growing season is projected to be $153. 4 billion, a 0. 7% drop when compared to last year, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service. When. . .
Net farm income for the 2026 growing season is projected to be $153. 4 billion, a 0. 7% drop when compared to last year, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service. When adjusted for inflation, that’s a 2. 6% drop, or $4. 1 billion. Blistering economic conditions continue to plague farmers with little relief in sight. Input costs such as diesel, fertilizer and others continue to be high, while commodity prices remain low. The national average for a gallon of diesel is $5. 36, more than double what it cost when the U. S. and Israel started attacks on Iran in late February. The average cost of diesel in Arkansas is $4. 96, according to the AAA. As tight margins continue to hurt Arkansas farmers, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture researchers are focused on providing recommendations that improve profitability and long-term resilience. More than 200 people gathered for the 2026 Rice and Soybean Field Day at the Division of Agriculture’s Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center on July 30. “Every penny counts right now,” said Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture. “Our job is to take the guesswork out of what you do in the field. ”Speaking to farmers, crop consultants, industry representatives and researchers, Fields said the annual field day exemplifies the Division of Agriculture’s land-grant mission by connecting producers directly with scientists who develop practical, research-based recommendations for Arkansas farms. “The specialists who were on all of the stops today, they’re actually doing what our mission says,” Fields said. “We’re trying to get science-based research adopted and have those best practices put into practice in the real world. ”The field day featured presentations and field demonstrations spanning soybean and rice breeding, precision nutrient management, weed control, irrigation, planting dates and aerial application technologies — all aimed at helping producers make more informed management decisions. A new herbicide technology is under review which could help address the rapid rise of herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass in Arkansas rice. If approved by regulatory agencies, it will represent the first “truly new” mode of action in 40 years, according to Bob Scott, professor and weed extension specialist in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences. Preliminary work on a seed treatment has also shown promising reductions in herbicide injury, particularly when the treatment is combined with chicken litter applications in field trials. The Soybean Breeding Program has made significant progress in developing root-knot nematode-resistant breeding lines, according to Caio Vieira, assistant professor of soybean breeding in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences. The program is also evaluating hundreds of soybean lines from around the world to identify traits that improve drought tolerance, nutrient composition and overall adaptability to Arkansas environments. Jason Davis, remote sensing and pesticide application extension specialist in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences, and Terry Spurlock, professor and extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology, compared fungicide applications made by spray drones and conventional ground rigs. They found that in one trial, increasing the drone’s speed from 30 to 40 miles per hour reduced spray coverage by roughly 20 percent. The researchers stressed that coverage alone does not determine product performance. Additional disease ratings and efficacy evaluations will help identify the operating speeds and application practices that maximize drone performance while maintaining effective disease control. Additional field stops featured research on soybean planting dates, furrow-irrigated rice production, nitrogen management and the long-running planting date studies that support Arkansas’ DD50 Rice Management Program. The field day served as a milestone for Tim Burcham, director of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center, who is set to retire at the end of the year after helping lead the development of the facility from concept to reality. The center opened in August 2024. “We started with a pickup truck, one pair of rubber boots and a shovel, and that is no exaggeration,” Burcham said. “But there was one word that described everyone involved in the early days of this project, and that one word was faith. Staunch and unbridled faith, that guided every decision and shattered every obstacle in our path. ”Burcham said the opportunity to be a part of establishing the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center has been “the capstone” of his professional career and he expressed gratitude to the Division of Agriculture leadership and members of the Arkansas Rice Research Promotion Board for affording the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. ”Related