Pierce County Farm Bureau (GFB) member Amelia Parker was among 25 GFB members from around the state to make a trip to Washington, D.C. April 1417 for the organization’s annual Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) trip.
While there, the group visited with members of the Georgia congressional delegation and urged them to find ways to help farmers thrive as independent businesses.
Their message: Financial sustainability is crucial and many farmers are nearing the point where they are having to curtail their production or go out of business altogether.
“Our farmers are hurting,” said GFB YF&R Committee Chairman Garrett Hurley. “We pride ourselves on being able to overcome challenges big and small, but in the current economic environment, we’re going to need help.”
Among the chief concerns the YF&R group shared was the recent spike in fertilizer prices. An American Farm Bureau national survey revealed that 78% of farmers from Southern states (Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) are unable to afford fertilizer they need for their 2026 crops.
The American Bankers Association/Farmer Mac 2025 Ag Lender Survey revealed that less than 45% of agricultural borrowers in the South were profitable in 2025, with no expectation for improvement in 2026. Like farmers, the ag lenders’ top concerns are net farm income and working capital.
Farms are at the heart of rural economies, and when one goes out of business, their local communities suffer. Businesses that support agriculture and draw their customers from farming face greater challenges following each farm closure.
“When farms shut down, communities also lose access to fresh, local food,” said GFB President Tom McCall. “We need thriving rural communities, and farmers are essential to continuing sustainability of rural life.”
In 2025, Chapter 12 bankruptcies—a debt restructuring designed specifically for farmers—increased for the third straight year. According to American Farm Bureau analysis from U.S. courts’ data, a total of 315 farm operators nationwide filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in 2025, an increase of 46% over 2024. In Georgia, 27 farms filed for Chapter 12 in 2025, up from 11 in 2024.
In 2024, the U.S. farmer’s share of the food dollar was 5.8 cents, according to American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) analysis of federal data.
Meanwhile, the cost of production has consistently increased, and farm revenue has not kept up. Farm production costs— money farmers spend for seed, fertilizer, fuel, labor, pest control, animal feed and veterinary care, etc.—have exceeded farm revenue in 11 of the past 14 years.
In 2025, less than 45% of farmers nationwide made a profit, and 2026 is not expected to be better, according to the American Bankers Association.
The GFB group proposed congressional members help Georgia farmers by:
• Passing a farm bill.
• Adjusting the methodology used to calculate the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), which establishes how much farmers have to pay migrant farm workers under the H-2A program.
• Strengthening enforcement of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement.
The constant financial challenges have brought adverse mental health effects on farmers into sharper focus in recent years. A 2022 study by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center revealed that 42% of Georgia farmers had had thoughts of suicide in the previous year.
For more information about the economic challenges facing Georgia Farmers, visit www.gfb.ag/strongfarms.
