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Major Factors Affecting Global Soybean and Products Trade Projections
Amber Waves, May 02, 2016Global soybean and products trade is projected to rise rapidly over the next 10 years according to <em>USDA Agricultural Projections to 2025</em>. The primary factors driving this increase include population and income growth, which are behind the rising world demand for livestock products, as well as policies implemented by major agricultural importers and exporters.
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Thinning Markets in U.S. Agriculture
EIB-148, March 16, 2016As U.S. agriculture becomes increasingly concentrated and markets become thinner (smaller number of ag product purchasers), increased producer-processor coordination could provide substantial efficiency gains despite some challenges.
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Thin Markets Raise Concerns, But Many Are Capable of Paying Producers Fair Prices
Amber Waves, March 16, 2016U.S. agriculture is growing more concentrated as markets have fewer purchases, low trading volume, and low liquidity. This raises concerns about equity for producers and efficiency in market performance.
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Changing Structure, Financial Risks, and Government Policy for the U.S. Dairy Industry
ERR-205, March 09, 2016Dairy farmers faced a severe financial setback in 2009 as milk prices fell sharply and feed prices remained high, while the industry has undergone structural change. Recent legislation addresses the volatility in milk and feed prices.
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Agriculture Risk Coverage Program Proves More Popular Than the Supplemental Coverage Option
Amber Waves, January 12, 2016The 2014 Farm Act provides eligible farmers new commodity support programs, including Agricultural Risk Coverage, Supplemental Coverage Option, and Price Loss Coverage. Findings reveal how various combinations of the programs affect producer revenues, producer well-being, and expected program costs.
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The 2014 Farm Act Agriculture Risk Coverage, Price Loss Coverage, and Supplemental Coverage Option Programs' Effects on Crop Revenue
ERR-204, January 12, 2016ERS examines the underlying mechanics of the Agriculture Risk Coverage, the Price Loss Coverage, and the Supplemental Coverage Option programs to see how they affect producer revenues and risk as well as expected program costs.
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Conservation-Practice Adoption Rates Vary Widely by Crop and Region
EIB-147, December 21, 2015U.S. farmers' adoption of no till, strip till, cover crops and nutrient management varies by crop and region. In addition, many farmers are "partial" adopters, implementing conservation practices on some but not all acres of their farms.
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Federal Crop Insurance Is Associated With Higher Levels of Short-Term Farm Debt
Amber Waves, October 05, 2015Federal crop insurance (FCI) has become a key component of U.S. farm policy. FCI provides farmers with subsidized insurance against unanticipated declines in market prices or yields. U.S. farm businesses that use FCI use more short-term debt (or operating loans) than farms without insurance, and this pattern holds even after accounting for other farm characteristics.
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Mandatory Price Reporting, Market Efficiency, and Price Discovery in Livestock Markets
LDPM-254-01, September 03, 2015ERS found that the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act, up for renewal in 2015, has improved the markets' overall speed in absorbing new information and that it generally benefits livestock feeders, meatpackers, and-ultimately-consumers.
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The Profit Potential of Certified Organic Field Crop Production
ERR-188, July 27, 2015Organic corn, soybean, and wheat production has higher total economic costs and lower yields than conventional production. However, price premiums paid to organic producers are an important factor offsetting the higher costs.
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Feed Outlook: June 2015
FDS-15F, June 12, 2015The June 2015 Feed Outlook report contains projections for the 2015/16 and 2014/15 U.S. and global feed markets based on the most current World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.
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Profit Margin Increases With Farm Size
Amber Waves, February 02, 2015Given the broad USDA definition of a farm, most U.S. farms are not profitable as ongoing businesses. One commonly used measure of profitability is the farm’s operating profit margin (OPM), the ratio of operating profit to gross farm income.
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Livestock Forage Disaster Program Payments Increase in 2014
Amber Waves, February 02, 2015ERS’s current farm income forecast for 2014 includes $4.3 billion in Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) payments, an almost 700 percent increase from total LFP payments made during the previous 5 years combined. LFP, which is accounted for in farm income accounting under “ad hoc and disaster assistance payments,” is expected to be over 40 percent of total direct payments.
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Projecting World Raw Sugar Prices
SSSM-317-01, January 16, 2015World sugar prices have an important effect on the U.S. sugar sector. This report presents a modeling framework for use in projecting world sugar prices, with detailed treatment of the role of Brazil in the world sugar and ethanol sectors.
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Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms: Family Farm Report, 2014 Edition
EIB-132, December 22, 2014Most U.S. farms-97 percent in 2011-are family operations. Small family farms make up 90 percent of the count, though midsize and large-scale family farms produce 60 percent of value of production, per ERS's latest Family Farm Report.
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America's Diverse Family Farms: 2014 Edition
EIB-133, December 22, 2014Farming is still an industry of family businesses. Ninety-seven percent of farms are family farms, and they account for 85 percent of farm production. Small farms make up 90 percent of the farm count and operate half of the Nation's farmland. Most farm production, however, occurs on midsize and large-scale family farms.
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The Importance of Federal Crop Insurance Premium Subsidies
Amber Waves, October 20, 2014Growth in Federal Crop Insurance (FCI) has generally been attributed to the increase in crop insurance premium subsidies. While ERS research results show the lower costs had only small effects on acreage enrollment, those already enrolled showed an adoption of higher levels of coverage. Results suggest that increasing premium subsidies could cause Government costs to increase rapidly.
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The Effects of Premium Subsidies on Demand for Crop Insurance
ERR-169, July 07, 2014Increases to premium subsidies can induce farmers to enroll more land in the crop insurance program, but they primarily encourage them to adopt higher levels of coverage on land already enrolled. Effects vary by region and crop type.
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Livestock Gross Margin-Dairy—an Effective Risk Management Tool?
Amber Waves, March 04, 2014Traditional dairy policies focused largely on protecting producers from downward price fluctuations, rather than a narrowing between prices and input costs, or margins. Recent research on an existing USDA Risk Management Agency insurance program known as Livestock Gross Margin-Dairy indicates that the program is effective in reducing risks faced by milk producers.
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Livestock Gross Margin-Dairy Insurance: An Assessment of Risk Management and Potential Supply Impacts
ERR-163, March 03, 2014Researchers from University of Kentucky and ERS find use of USDA's LGM-Dairy insurance reduces producers' risk but has little effect on the size of the average margin and only a modest potential to induce greater milk supplies.