Economic Situation for Iowa Farmers

The 1990s will be a period of uncertainty for Iowa farmers. With the uncertainty will come challenges and opportunities. The farmer who is able to adjust and successfully deal with the changes will be profitable. Those who do not will either just hold on or will exit farming. This paper focuses on three areas that will impact the economic situation of Iowa farmers in the 1990s. Other areas could be developed and the ones presented will not be covered in depth. The idea is to discuss three of the major phenomena that will impact the economic situation of Iowa farmers. The major areas include the observation that there is considerable differences in profitability on Iowa farms, the changing structure of Iowa agriculture, and the general level of uncertainty surrounding agriculture and the U.S. economy. Each of these areas and their ramifications will be discussed