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.

ARC-PLC Farm Bill Decision 2021

By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 25, 2021

Starting in 2018, grain farmers have had the ability to decide on a yearly basis between the ARC and PLC Farm Bill programs.  The decision needs to be made for each base-acre crop type (corn, soybeans, wheat) on each FSA farm.  You can choose PLC for one crop type, and ARC for another crop type on the same farm.

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.

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (2.0)

By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Sep. 23, 2020

USDA has announced a second round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments for farmers impacted by COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Food Price Inflation

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

The media has provided a lot of news stories of late on the impact of COVID-19 on the prices we are paying for food. A major disruption in our food supply chain coupled with an initial surge of panic buying by consumers would suggest that food prices would increase. But how much extra are we paying to feed our families?

Updates to the PPP Loan Program

Published on Jun. 29, 2020

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered through the Small Business Association (SBA) continues to evolve and there are some noteworthy updates that have occurred during the past few weeks. As you may recall, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act was signed into law on June 5th.

PPP Loan Forgiveness

By Jennifer Rogers | KFBM Area Extension Specialist
Published on May. 27, 2020

Several weeks ago, Congress passed the CARES Act, which included legislation to provide loans to small businesses.  One of the loans administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) became commonly referred to as PPP loans, or Paycheck Protection Program.  According to the SBA, the PPP loan “is designed to provide a direct incentive

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Update

By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on May. 27, 2020

USDA has announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)  designed to compensate farmers who have suffered losses due to COVID-19.

Economic Factors Affecting Agricultural Trade

By Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Apr. 1, 2020

With 95% of the world’s population residing outside of the United States, coupled with around 20% of U.S. farm production (or 1/3 of ag cash receipts) being purchased by foreign consumers, agricultural trade is a critical component of the U.S. farm economy.