Billions in Farm Income, But Costs Keep Climbing Across the Southeast
Billions of dollars move through Southeast agriculture every year. But gross farm income isn't the same thing as money in a farmer's pocket.
New USDA state-level estimates for 2025 put some numbers behind that distinction, tracking not only the income agriculture generates, but what farmers are spending to produce it.
North Carolina alone generated about $20 billion in inflation-adjusted gross farm income last year, enough to rank eighth nationally.
Across the Southeast, the agricultural mix varies considerably, from poultry and peanuts to cattle, cotton, citrus and specialty crops. But the expense side of the equation reaches across commodities and state lines.
Nationwide, inflation-adjusted farm production expenses totaled $486 billion in 2025. And looking ahead, USDA forecasts nominal production expenses will climb another 4.5 percent in 2026, while inflation-adjusted net farm income is expected to fall 5.5 percent.
It's a reminder that billions of dollars in agricultural income don't necessarily translate into billions left over.
