Inflation – “Good” or “Bad” for Agricultural Producers and Consumers?

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Jan. 28, 2022

Inflation has been headline news for several months and certainly an issue impacting all businesses, industries, and all of us as consumers.  

U.S. and Global Food Price Inflation

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on May. 28, 2021

Food price inflation continues to be headline news as the food system adjusts from the lingering effects of COVID-19 amidst tight labor/ag supplies, a resurgence in the U.S. economy, and a host of other factors discussed below.

Examining How Macroeconomic Policy Changes Impact the Farm Economy

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on May. 12, 2021

Farmers and agribusinesses closely monitor changes in commodity and input prices, crop yields, rates of gains on livestock, the latest technology, and of course, the weather. However, changes in macroeconomic variables such as interest rates, inflation, income growth, and exchange rates, often have a much greater impact on their bottom line.

Carbon Markets 101

By Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Apr. 29, 2021

The development of agricultural ecosystem credit markets, specifically carbon markets, is a hot topic in the popular press and Washington, DC.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 10% of carbon dioxide, a primary greenhouse gas, is emitted by the agricultural sector.  While this is relatively a small portion of

USDA Announces Additional Pandemic Assistance for Farmers

By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 30, 2021

On March 24th, U.S.

2021 Tobacco Budgets

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 25, 2021

The 2021 burley and dark tobacco budgets can be accessed at https://agecon.ca.uky.edu/budgets#Tobacco. These budgets are developed by Alan Galloway, University of Tennessee (UT), Bob Pearce, Andy Bailey, and Will Snell, from the University of Kentucky (UK).  

More Government Money on the Way for Kentucky Farmers

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Jan. 28, 2021

The latest COVID-19 stimulus package (Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021) contains more funding for U.S. agriculture. Last year, U.S. farmers received an estimated $46 billion of direct federal funding, accounting for nearly 40% of projected U.S.

ARC vs PLC – The Basics

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Jan. 28, 2021

The 2014 Farm Bill developed two programs to provide income support for specified row crops.  -- the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.  These risk management programs were reauthorized in the 2018 Farm Bill with slight modifications and remain in effect for the 2019-2023 crop years.

Additional CFAP Funding Announced

By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Jan. 19, 2021

USDA announced on this past Friday that additional Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments (labeled CFAP 2.1) will be made for certain producers using leftover funds from the first two rounds of CFAP.

U.S. Agriculture Flirting with an Annual Trade Deficit – First Time in 60 years?

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 29, 2020

Trade continues to be a hot discussion item, impacting ag markets and certainly being a part of the political debate heading into the November elections. We constantly hear about the relatively large trade deficit that the U.S.