ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Newly-released data from the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities showed Minnesota farmers experienced a moderate financial recovery in 2025—an improvement from the extremely low profit levels recorded in 2024. The study found that the median net farm income for Minnesota farms increased to $66,518 in 2025.
“There’s a couple reasons for that,” University of Minnesota Extension Economist Pauline Van Nurden said. “Mainly above trendline yields for crop producers, especially in the southern half to third of the state, strong livestock prices for all of our livestock types of producers—hogs, beef and dairy—and then also government support payments played a role there.”
Van Nurden noted corn and soybean producers in Minnesota had a better year than expected.
“Those producers really broke even, I would say, on average, especially on rented ground,” she said. “Not a great year, but maybe not as challenging as we thought it might be as we went through the growing season.”
Van Nurden said 2025 was a challenging year for farmers due to low export prices and high input costs.
“Interest rates in general are up,” she said. “A lot of the same things that the average consumer sees as they go shopping, farmers are experiencing as well.”
Regarding 2026’s farm profitability outlook, Van Nurden said it remains uncertain. She said farmers and consumers share concerns related to ongoing geopolitical conflict, trade disruptions and broader economic volatility.
“Weather is always a wild card for crop producers,” Van Nurden said. “2026 does have a lot of uncertainty, I would say, at this point.”
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