Alabama’s once-thriving agricultural sector is now grappling with a perfect storm of challenges, leaving farmers on the brink.
Despite the state’s fertile soil and rich farming heritage, rising costs, dwindling exports, and unfavorable policies have pushed many to the edge.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts a decline in livestock, poultry, and dairy exports to $38.6 billion for FY 2025, a $100 million drop from the previous year.
This trend is mirrored in Alabama, where farmers fear that their industry is teetering on the edge of collapse.
Mounting expenses—spanning insurance, equipment, fertilizer, and seeds—are tightening the financial noose.
Farm debt has surged by roughly 5% as exports plummet for the third time in five years.
Rick Pate, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, voices grave concern, particularly for row crop farmers.
If things don’t change, those farming soybeans, cotton, and corn could lose everything, Pate warns, highlighting the severity of the crisis.
Row crop farmers, in particular, are feeling the squeeze. Corn is just bottoming out; soybeans, wheat, Pate says, reflecting on a recent conversation with a farmer managing 7,000 acres in Lawrence County, who has decided to call it quits.
While Alabama’s cattle industry shows signs of resilience, with beef prices hitting a record $8.15 per pound, the situation isn’t much brighter.
Despite these high prices, farmers aren’t seeing the profits, with inflation, drought, and unfavorable policies cited as culprits.
The U.S. cattle inventory is shrinking as aging farmers struggle to expand.
Mitt Walker, National Affairs Director for the Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA), points to low commodity prices, soaring production costs, and widespread drought as key pressures.
Inflation and higher interest rates, coupled with poor energy and trade policies, have created a financial crisis for many farmers, Walker says.
The problem is compounded by a shrinking export market for Alabama’s key crops like corn, soybeans, and cotton.
Pate notes a troubling irony: Alabama exports cotton only to buy it back as finished goods at a premium. It just doesn’t make any sense, he adds.
Market analysts trace many of these challenges back to the COVID-19 pandemic, with lingering impacts exacerbated by trade agreements like NAFTA, which Pate argues have gutted the nation’s textile industry.
The poultry sector, Alabama’s agricultural cornerstone, isn’t immune. Farmers are finding themselves squeezed by a handful of powerful integrators, likening their situation to modern-day sharecropping.
As long as they’re getting their eggs, as long as they’re getting their chickens, that’s all they care about, one farmer laments, reflecting the broader discontent among Alabama’s poultry producers.
ALFA is stepping in as a mediator, promoting transparency and advocating for fair practices.
We work closely with Alabama poultry farmers to review proposed rules and regulations and provide feedback to agencies and elected officials, Walker explains.
Despite the grim outlook, he maintains that poultry farming still offers a viable path for many.
It’s hard work, but it allows hundreds of farmers to stay on their land and provide for their families, he adds.
Yet, the human cost of this agricultural downturn is severe.
Depression and suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among farmers, prompting ALFA to launch the Stronger Together initiative.
This program connects farmers with mental health resources and aims to identify early warning signs of stress.
In these tough times, Alabama farmers are fighting to keep their heads above water, battling not just financial woes but also the mental toll of a livelihood under siege.
Business owners, particularly those in the agricultural sector, are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate these turbulent times, as the financial and emotional pressures continue to mount.
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