The State of Louisiana's Farm Economy

By Dr. Michael Deliberto

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

Record high production costs coupled with weakening commodity prices for major Louisiana row crops have substantially decreased farm incomes, adversely affecting operating margins for agricultural producers in Louisiana to such an extent that operating margins for soybean farms have diminished over the past three consecutive years. The severity of the decline encompasses negative margins for corn, cotton, rice, and soybean operations. The outlook for the farm economy moving forward from 2025 into the 2026 crop year is concerning for farm survivability.