McLean County Farm Bureau

FarmDoc Daily

• SCO and ECO Choices in 2026
  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically increased the premium support on Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) crop insurance policies from 65% to 80%. The Risk Management Agency of the USDA then announced in August of 2025 that premium support would also be increased to 80% for the Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) and other similar programs. […]
• Extending the Cattle Cycle with Still Lower Inventories
  The USDA’s cattle inventory report places the total number of cattle and calves on January 1 at 86.7 million head, as the industry continues into a 7th consecutive year of contraction within the cattle cycle. The report indicates smaller beef cow and beef replacement heifer inventories and a smaller calf crop than anticipated. The report […]
• Double Trouble Part 1: Producers Request Larger Loan Levels with Rising Interest Rates
  Over the past seven years, the interest expense faced by producers receiving a new USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm loan has increased 50 to 62 percent and the total first-year payment has increased 72 to 89 percent. This is due to both increases in interest rates and loan amounts. Increases in the average size […]