Page 4 2026 Fall Farm Outlook Lincoln Daily News Oct 2026 Fall Farm Intro 2026 The open fall through mid- October has been ideal for harvest. The warm temperatures, sunny conditions, and some breezy weather have all contributed to drying down crops. Harvest has moved along at a steady pace in most areas, with some having started in early September. Early indications are very good soybean yields, and corn yields not quite measuring up to the 2025 harvest. Of course, the yields vary widely from field to field. Much of the variability is due to early wet weather, and associated ponding in fields from heavy rain events. The month of April had 10 rain events totaling almost five and one-half inches of rain at my house. Most were light, but one rain was 3.75 inches to start the month. Many of the issues affecting producers are similar to past years. Profitability remains at the top of the list. Input costs have continued to rise. Energy and input costs are among the higher increases. According to Farmdoc (Paulson, Schnitkey, Zwilling, and Zulauf) the 2026 projected loss for corn is $82 and a small profit of $18 for soybeans. This assumes some lofty yields of 241 for corn and 76 for soybeans. Using all their cost figures, this comes to $4.70 average cost for corn per bushel, and $10.72 per bushel for soybeans. Their estimates for 2027 look a bit more favorable with positive income of $36 per acre for corn and $86 per acre for soybeans. Many new seed technologies are getting close to availability. These include additional herbicide resistance traits, short stature corn, additional updates on insect control, and increased disease control. While many of these technologies are from genetic modifications, others are from traditional breeding programs. Market acceptance, both domestically and internationally, of these technologies will be the final piece of widespread release. Government programs and policies continue to have a tremendous influence on agriculture. With an extended period with no overall farm bill, piecemeal policies have tried to continue providing the safety net producers need, the SNAP programs many rely on, and conservation measures needed to protect sensitive areas. Tariffs, runups in diesel cost, and costs of certain fertilizer materials have also combined to put a squeeze on agriculture, and transportation to a large degree.
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