News

The executive director of the Kansas Farm Management Association at K-State, Kevin Herbel, talks about trends in farm family living expenses, as indicated in the latest K-F-M-A data, and how those expenses factor into the profitability of Kansas farms:  he talks about the main living expenses and how farm families have managed those as farm income has declined over the past several years.

Monte Vandeveer shares his new analysis of the options afforded corn producers under the crop insurance prevented planting provisions, with his projected trade aid payment levels tied in. He has projected the economic returns of different scenarios, figuring in likely corn price trends in the advent of a short U.S. corn crop. He also talks about a new K-State spreadsheet tool that producers can use to calculate the best option for their situation.

A detailed look at the just-released Kansas Net Farm Income report for 2018 from the Kansas Farm Management Association at K-State. This report is widely regarded as an important indicator of the economic health of production agriculture in the state. This year it shows a notable improvement in average net farm income, but with a major caveat that must be taken into account: the impact of the Market Facilitation Payments program. Kevin Herbel and KFMA economists discuss NFI across the six regions of the state and also take a look at the ongoing challenges in farm equity.

K-State agricultural economist Mykel Taylor talks about how the lack of basis convergence in the grain markets can hamper a producer's ability to successfully forward-contract grain sales. She reported her research findings on this impact to the attendees at the 2019 Agriculture Commodity Futures Conference co-sponsored by Kansas State University earlier this month.

K-State agricultural economists Terry Griffin and Gregg Ibendahl report on their latest economic analysis of the top farms economically in Kansas, based on Kansas Farm Management Association data...this time, they looked at how machinery investments affect farm profitability, and the result was just the opposite of what they had expected.

K-State agricultural economist Bill Golden covers his new report on the impacts of the Local Enhanced Management Area on irrigation water use and farm profitability in Sheridan County, where the first-ever L-E-M-A was established...his analysis indicates that this approach to groundwater conservation is succeeding at an impressive level, reducing water use while sustaining good economic returns to producers.

K-State agricultural economist Nathan Hendricks talks about how renewable fuels policy has affected agricultural land use decisions in the United States:  his research shows the effect is actually less than previous research on the subject had indicated. It is one part of a just-released study by multiple researchers of how the Renewable Fuel Standard has impacted the environment.

K-State farm management economist Gregg Ibendahl talks about his method of forecasting nitrogen fertilizer price trends for the growing season ahead, which he says will take their cues from oil and corn price trends. Producers can use this information when planning nitrogen purchases.