Thirty-six agricultural economists published a 24-article, peer-reviewed guide called “Surviving the Farm Economy Downturn: 2026 Update” to help U.S. producers and landowners manage the current slump.
Low crop prices and record-high input costs drove the update, while farm bankruptcies have been rising across the South and producers seek advice on navigating what authors describe as a hopefully short-term downturn.
The publication groups its guidance into six areas: setting the stage, crop market outlooks, livestock, ag lending-credit-crop insurance, strategies, and resiliency.
Livestock conditions remain uneven within the downturn, with cow-calf and dairy producers facing record cattle and calf prices even as many crop producers remain under pressure.
The 2026 update follows a similar resource used during the 2014-2019 downturn and was backed by the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center with USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture support.