In tonight’s Evening Edition, read about Illinois and Iowa corn yields, September equipment sale trends, and a lawsuit for loan forgiveness.
Corn Yields
Iowa farmers are projected to harvest about 200 bushels of corn per acre this year on average — a yield potentially less than Illinois’ 210, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture predictions.
However, Iowa’s overall production is expected to be about 12% higher than Illinois.
Find out how Illinois’ yields compare to the state’s record-highs of 2018 by clicking the article below.
September Tractor and Combine Sales
Editor Alex Gray reports on September data of agriculture equipment sales.
Total farm tractor sales for September 2022 were down 12.8% from 2021, but still marked an improvement over sales from August.
Read on to learn how combine sales fared last month in the article linked below.
Lawsuit to Restore Aid for Black Farmers
The government must honor its 2021 offer of $4 billion in loan forgiveness to Black and other socially disadvantaged farmers, even though Congress repealed the aid program this summer, said a class action lawsuit filed on Wednesday.
Debt relief for farmers of color was included in the 2021 pandemic stimulus bill. Almost immediately, it was tied up in court, although USDA said in May 2021 that it would send letters alerting farmers that their USDA loans would be forgiven.
Learn more about Congress’ actions this fall and arguments from representatives of the lawsuit below.
