Problems of Farmers in Agriculture

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Problems of Farmers in Agriculture Farmers face a variety of obstacles to securing their livelihood. Their incomes for an entire year are affected by the weather, which controls crop yields -- and yields from all over the world affect commodity prices. Farm equipment can cost more than farmland itself. Lending policies can make it difficult for farmers to purchase land and equipment that they need. New tractor prices start at about $100,000, and combines cost more than $300,000 without the heads needed to harvest crops. Farmers receive the bulk of their annual income at harvest time, once a year, making standard monthly payments nearly impossible. Commodity Prices Commodity prices are determined by estimating yields at harvest. Prices are adjusted when farmers report how many acres of each crop they planted. Prices are adjusted again by actual yields during harvest. Bumper yields result in lower prices at harvest. Yields that are less than predicted raise prices at harvest. Farmers decide how much of their crops to contract before harvest hoping to lock in a better price. If prices go down at harvest, farmers stand to earn more by having a futures contract on their crops. If prices go up at harvest, the farmer who earlier signed a contract at a lower price will miss out on some of the profit he would have earned if he waited to sell at harvest. If farmers cannot fulfill their contracts, they may have to pay the difference.The national monthly average market prices are combined by the Farm Service Agency to determines the amount, if any, of government supplemental payments to farmers. Weather The amount of water on crops controls plant growth and crop yield. Farmers without the help of costly irrigation equipment are at the mercy of rainfall. A dry spell can destroy young plants or prevent mature plants from producing seeds. But rain is not the only weather that
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