Comparing Revenue and Price Declines during Recent Multiple Year Declines

Abstract

Since 1973, crop commodity programs in the farm bill have largely been transformed to policies that make payments to farmers from policies that support and increase market price. Payment was usually triggered by low price, with the goal of helping farm income during multiple years of low or depressed prices. The last two farm bills have included a policy option that makes payment triggered by low revenue using a combination of price and yield declines. By taking into account yield as well as price, revenue arguably is a more inclusive payment policy. We explore this matter further by comparing changes in price, yield per planted acre, and revenue per planted acre in the current low price environment and one from the late 1990s.