Row crop farmers who have been the backbone of Tennessee’s agriculture industry for several decades are now navigating seismic shifts in global markets after two years of “staggering” losses.
If Tennessee wants to see agriculture survive as one of its top industries, the state will need to support creative ways to help farmers keep their operations profitable, Tennessee Department of Agriculture Commissioner Andy Holt told members of the state Senate’s agriculture and commerce committees.
A combination of high input costs, storms, drought, high interest rates, geopolitical changes, trade disruption during tariff negotiations and lower commodity prices was a “recipe for disaster,” Holt said.
Producers of cotton, soybeans, corn, and a wheat and soybean combination ended 2025 with a combined $192 million loss, according to estimates from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The university initially estimated a combined loss of $476 million, but the loss was partially offset by federal aid and crop insurance payments.
That’s on top of an estimated combined loss of $298 million in 2024.