Fertilizer price increases associated with the conflict in Iran seem likely to result in higher fertility costs for farmers for the 2027 crop year. Much attention has been given to higher nitrogen fertilizer prices. Prices for phosphate fertilizers, such as Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), have also been increasing. Today’s article links the increases in phosphate fertilizer prices to the significant increase in the price of sulfur, a primary input to the production of phosphate fertilizer products.

The average farm real estate value for Illinois in 2026 was $9,250 per acre. This includes the value of all land and buildings used for agricultural production. The figure was 3.6% higher than the 2025 average of $8,930 per acre. This is the sixth year in a row of at least a 2.4% increase since 2020. During the last six years, there has been a steadier increase of 2.4% to 3.6 % increase, except for 2022 with a 10.5% increase.

The comparison of two ag economy barometers shows that farmers in the United States and Argentina entered mid-2026 with different views of the years ahead. Argentine producers expressed a more favorable outlook for the crop sector and were more likely to expect farmland prices to increase, while livestock expectations were positive in both countries. At the same time, producers shared several concerns about farm finances, especially high input costs, low commodity prices, and weather risk.

The USDA’s August Crop Production report, released on August 12, 2026, included the first survey-based yield forecast for soybeans of the season. This article presents an independently constructed, condition-based forecast of the 2026 U.S. soybean crop and compares it to what USDA recently reported. The national gap between our condition-based model and USDA’s August survey is modest in both the corn and soybean crops.

Over the past ten years, average annual capital purchases on Illinois grain farms have exceeded average annual net farm income, with government payments included in income. Generally, income from other sources has been used to fund farm-level capital purchases, much of which has been allocated to machinery. Over time, machinery purchases then have resulted in growing machinery depreciation costs on a per-acre basis.

Bankruptcies have peaked and ebbed in relation to movements in farm income and government payments. Over the past decade, they have tended to cluster in specific states or regions, Wisconsin and Arkansas for example, and in specific sectors, particularly dairy, rice, cotton, and beef cattle. Bankruptcies are more likely to have a greater impact on specific types of borrowers, in particular beginning farmers and those qualifying for limited-resource programs or debt set-aside measures.