WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2016 – USDA says that an already grim financial picture in the farm sector has actually gotten worse and will continue to do so.
In its November update of its farm sector income forecast, USDA’s Economic Research Service predicts a drop in farm income for the third consecutive year. Net cash farm income is forecast at $90.1 billion, down 14.6 percent from 2015, and down from $94.1 billion seen in August. Net farm income, meanwhile, is seen at $66.9 billion, a 17.2 percent drop from last year. The decreases come after the sector set record highs for farm income in 2012 and 2013.
The animal ag sector is perhaps playing the biggest role in the decrease. Crop receipt forecasts are essentially unchanged, but animal and animal products receipts are forecast to drop $23.4 billion, about 12.3 percent, in 2016.
Some slight relief looks to be headed to producers as production expenses are predicted to fall while government payments increase. Those payments are seen rising by $2.1 billion, or just over 19 percent in 2016, pushed by a whopping 159.6 percent jump in payments under the Price Loss Coverage program and a 35.7 percent increase in the Agricultural Risk Coverage program.
For the second straight year, production expenses are expected to decrease. ERS forecasts a 2.6 percent drop in 2016 after those same expenses fell 8.1 percent in 2015. The 2016 decline is expected to total about $9.2 billion. Expenses peaked in 2014 at $390 billion. Net rent expenses are also expected to drop in 2016 by almost $20 billion, or 1.6 percent.
While farm income is expected to continue its decline, total median farm household income – which also takes into account off-farm income – is expected to rise slightly, by less than 1 percent.
The forecast is the last for 2016. Final data for the year is expected to arrive at some point in 2017, which will give economists a more definitive farm income picture for 2016. ERS will unveil 2017 farm income estimates early next year.
In a separate
report, ERS and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service projected 2017
agricultural exports at $134 billion, a $1 billion increase from August
estimates.
Half of the increase - $500 million – comes from increased dairy
estimates, and grain and fees exports are expected to jump about $300 million.
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