Each January, University of Wisconsin ag economists and farm leaders gather in Madison to look back at the previous year and look forward to the coming year at the annual Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum. This year’s event was held Jan. 27 at Union South on the UW-Madison campus.
Tough times
UW-Madison ag economist Paul Mitchell, who is director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute, said 2025 was a tough year for Wisconsin crop producers.
Mitchell said crop revenues were down 2% last year from 2024.
“Wheat was down 10% from 2025 over 2024,” Mitchell explained. “The cost of production was up 11% for corn and 7% for soybeans in 2025. The cost of land, fertilizer and machinery all went up in 2025 and will go up in 2026.”…