Mississippi Marketplace: What’s Ahead for Mississippi Farmers?

By Katherine Lin

Demand for soybeans has improved since last year but Mississippi farmers still face high input costs. 

Agriculture remains a top industry for the state with soybeans being the most valuable row crop, valued at over $1 billion a year. Last year, China, the world’s largest soybean purchaser, did not buy any soybeans until late fall due to the Trump administration’s trade war tariffs. This led to economic uncertainty for farmers who were already coping with years of rising costs. 

Will Maples, an agricultural economics professor at Mississippi State, said producers are “way ahead of where we were this time last year” with China promising to buy around 25 million tons of soybeans this year. But Maples cautions that input costs are still a huge drag on profit. He said that input costs are the biggest concern he hears about from farmers.

During the 2026 legislative session, state lawmakers tried to ease pressure on farmers by passing a bill exempting lime used for farming from sales taxes and reducing the sales tax on fencing materials used for containing livestock. However, prices are often driven by global forces. The ongoing war with Iran has led to increased prices for fuel and fertilizer. 

Duane Dunlap of DNS Commodities, an agriculture and renewables consulting firm, said that things are not yet where they need to be for growers to turn a profit.