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Wisconsin had the most farm bankruptcies and Midwest region had most filings.

May 7, 2020

2 Min Read

An American Farm Bureau Federation Market Intel report shows a total of 627 farm bankruptcy filings during the 12-month period ending March 2020, a 23% year-to-year increase and marking five consecutive years of Chapter 12 bankruptcy increases, including an accelerated rate since January. The data is from the U.S. Courts.

Wisconsin was the hardest hit with 78 filings in the 12-month period, followed by Nebraska with 41 Chapter 12 filings and Iowa at 37. More than 50% of the Chapter 12 filings were in the 13-state Midwest region, followed by 19% in the Southeast.

farm bankruptcies

Change in farm bankruptcies

“Each bankruptcy represents a farm in America struggling to survive or going under, which is both heartbreaking and alarming,” said American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “Even more concerning, the difficulty staying afloat is made worse by the pandemic and related shutdowns as farmers are left with fewer markets for their products and lower prices for the products they do sell.”

The increase in bankruptcies from the latest report is not related to the coronavirus pandemic. That is certain to change as U.S. unemployment is projected to reach 14.5% in the second and third quarters, which will cause a decline in off-farm income. This could affect farmers’, notably small-to-medium-sized farms’, ability to service a record $425 billion in debt, because many farmers rely on off-farm income as a stabilizing force.

Related:Dairy farm numbers decline in 2019

farm bankruptcy by region

“Congress and the administration made an initial investment in America’s farmers and ranchers with the $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program,” Duvall said, “but more must be done to ensure farms survive to continue providing food for America’s families during the pandemic and beyond.”

off-farm income

Source: AFBF, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. 

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