URBANA, Ill. – Should cash rents be lowered? If yes, by how much? How much relief will be seen through lower fertilizer and seed prices? What are the prospects for grain prices to recover from current depressed levels? The University of Illinois Extension and members of the farmdoc team from the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics in the College of ACES is offering a series of five Farm Economics Summit meetings to help producers navigate these difficult times.
“The big story in Illinois agriculture in 2016 continues to be the ‘margin squeeze’ faced by crop producers—brought on by low corn, soybean, and wheat prices and costs of production that have yet to fully adjust to the new price realities,” says U of I agricultural economist Scott Irwin. “At present prices, further cost of production reductions will be required. Producers and landowners face a series of difficult management challenges as they grapple with how to adjust to the changed environment.”
Speakers at the summit will explore the farm profitability outlook and management challenges from several perspectives, including the 2017 outlook for prices, farm financial management in tough times, needed changes in farmland leases, updates on the farm program safety net, agricultural credit conditions, and long-term weather and yield trends. The format for the meeting will be fast-paced and allow plenty of time for questions from the audience.
Sponsored by U of I Extension, the farm economics summit will be offered at five different locations during the month of December.
The dates and locations are as follows:
Monday, Dec. 12 - Champaign, iHotel and Conference Center
Tuesday, Dec. 13 - Dekalb, Faranda’s Banquet Center
Wednesday, Dec. 14 - Peoria, Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino
Thursday, Dec. 15 - Springfield, Crowne Plaza
Friday, Dec. 16 - Mt. Vernon, Holiday Inn
The sessions will begin at 7:45 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. The advance registration fee is $70 per person and includes lunch, refreshments, and all meeting materials. The online pre-registration deadline is Dec. 5, which includes a $5 discount. Registration at the door is $75 per person as space permits.
For questions about registration, contact Nancy Simpson (nsimp1@illinois.edu; 217-244-9687).
See the website for the complete agenda and list of speakers.
ACES ACES News Agricultural and Consumer Economics Economics Scott Irwin 217-333-6087 sirwin@illinois.edu https://shared.aces.illinois.edu/sites/shared.aces.illinois.edu/files/news/2012.07.16.good_.drought-001_2.jpg farmland https://shared.aces.illinois.edu/sites/shared.aces.illinois.edu/files/news/2012.07.16.good_.drought.jpg farmland Wednesday, November 16, 2016 Economics 6715 Debra Levey Larson