Persistent Losses Leave Farmers Needing Economic Support

Aug 03, 2026

By Faith Parum and Daniel Munch

Key Takeaways

Global instability is pushing production costs higher. Fertilizer and fuel costs were already elevated heading into 2026, and the conflict with Iran has added further pressure to those markets.
AFBF analysis shows losses are expected to deepen in 2027. AFBF estimates that without federal assistance, farmers growing nine principal crops will lose $32 billion (national average returns over total costs) in 2027, compared to $31 billion in 2026. On a per-acre basis, every crop analyzed is projected to remain below breakeven in 2027.
Fruit, vegetable, nut and other specialty crop losses remain largely uncovered. AFBF estimates farmers growing six representative crops faced more than $7 billion in 2025 losses. The ASCF program provides welcome relief, but payment rates cover only about 5% to 28% of estimated 2025 per-acre losses for the crops analyzed. Available 2026 data show difficult market conditions continue, including below-breakeven prices, acreage reductions and weak margins across major specialty crop sectors.

Video: Spraying Corn Herbicide

Border View Farms is a mid-sized family farm that sits on the Ohio-Michigan border. My name is Nathan. I make and edit all of the videos posted here. I farm with my dad, Mark and uncle, Phil. We also have a part-time employee, Brock. My dad started the farm in 1980. Since then we have grown the operation from just a couple hundred acres to over 3,000. Watch my 500th video for a history of our farm I filmed with my dad.

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