1980s

One thing many in the Ag industry remember about former President George H. W. Bush was that he was a staunch supporter, and took great interest in farmers.  Back in April 1989, Americans farmers were still reeling from the 1980's financial crisis, add on top of that a historic drought in 1988.  ...

The nation's farmers and farm economy are not in as bad a shape as back during the farm crisis of the 1980s, but the USDA's chief economist Rob Johansson says there are some troubling trends. Among them, is the increase in farm debt.   "The current levels of debt are approaching the levels we saw back in the 1980s, at more than$400 Billion, with real estate debt to exceed the record of $218 m

Low commodity prices have made things tough by bringing down land values, tightening balance sheets, and increasing the stress level of America’s producers.  Unfortunately, that means farmers are continuing to take on more debt.  The amount of outstanding farm debt is likely to reach an all-time high this year.   Brent ...

Some have compared the current agriculture economy to the dark days of the 1980s.  But is that an accurate assessment?  Steve Gabriel, Chief Economist at Farm Credit Administration says not really.   He told the Washington Ag Network while we are dealing with low commodity prices and a lot of uncertainty, the overall health of the ag economy does not compare to what we saw 30+ years ago.  He said