Growers will still lose money on their 2024 corn and soybean crops despite the economic assistance payments approved by Congress in December, according to an analysis by economists at the University of Illinois and The Ohio State University.
They estimate farmers in central Illinois will lose $118 per acre on corn and $23 per acre on soybeans even with the payments. Without the aid, the negative returns would have been $161 per acre on corn and $53 an acre on soybeans.
A farm with 50% of its acreage in corn and 50% in soybeans would lose an average of $71 an acre, the economists say.
“Ad hoc federal aid contained in the American Relief Act of 2025 will help farmers by partially offsetting losses and reducing the erosion of their financial positions resulting from lower commodity prices and continuing high costs,” the economists wrote. “As such, many farmers and lenders will welcome it. The economic aid will make financial planning and loan renewal easier for the 2025 production year.”
