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Considerations Before Making the Switch to Alternative Crops

July 24, 2026 by karli.kaase

Farms and crops in Burleson County on April 28, 2021. (Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)

When traditional crop margins become compressed, it is natural for producers to explore alternative cropping opportunities. Specialty crops, niche markets, and emerging commodities often generate excitement because of their potential to increase revenue and diversify farm income. 

However, before committing acreage to a new enterprise, producers should carefully evaluate both the opportunities and risks associated with alternative crops.  [Read more…] about Considerations Before Making the Switch to Alternative Crops

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The June Acreage Report Predicts More Cotton and Fewer Grains in Texas

July 10, 2026 by andrew.wright

Cotton growing in a field

Field crops in Burleson County on July 30, 2021. (Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)

On Monday, June 30, the USDA released its June Acreage Report. In today’s post, we examine the report’s implications for crop production nationwide and in Texas. [Read more…] about The June Acreage Report Predicts More Cotton and Fewer Grains in Texas

Filed Under: Corn, Cotton, Crops, Sorghum, Wheat

Exciting Opportunity for Young and Small Producers: GROW Your AgriRoots Contest Offers $50,000 in Prizes

June 25, 2026 by karli.kaase

Are you a young, beginning, or small (YBS) farmer or rancher working hard to make your mark in agriculture? Capital Farm Credit is providing a fantastic opportunity to reward your hard work and dedication with their annual GROW Your AgriRoots Contest. With up to $50,000 in prizes available, this contest shines a spotlight on the next generation of farm and agribusiness owner-operators who are excelling in their field. [Read more…] about Exciting Opportunity for Young and Small Producers: GROW Your AgriRoots Contest Offers $50,000 in Prizes

Filed Under: Uncategorized

New World Screwworm: Press Releases, Fact Sheets, and Other Resources

June 9, 2026 by karli.kaase

New World screwworm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) on Friday, Jun 06, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

On June 3, 2026, state and federal officials confirmed the detection of New World screwworm in Texas. In today’s blog post, we provide links to relevant press releases, fact sheets developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and other important resources and information. [Read more…] about New World Screwworm: Press Releases, Fact Sheets, and Other Resources

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Building a Marketing Plan: What to Include

May 11, 2026 by karli.kaase

A marketing plan is an essential risk management tool for any agricultural producer, although it is often overlooked. A marketing plan is basically a road map for your operation, helping to identify your goals and objectives and how you are going to achieve them. In this article, we discuss five important items to include in your marketing plan. 

[Read more…] about Building a Marketing Plan: What to Include

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Measuring Ranch Profitability with Beef-Cattle Standard Performance Analysis

April 30, 2026 by karli.kaase

As ranchers move past tax season, many are getting a clearer picture of their financial position for the year. CPA-prepared reports and cash flow statements are helpful, but they only tell part of the story. The real question is not just whether the ranch made money, but how effectively it used its resources to generate that income. [Read more…] about Measuring Ranch Profitability with Beef-Cattle Standard Performance Analysis

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Business Planning and Tax Management Workshop for Farmers and Ranchers

April 23, 2026 by karli.kaase

Producers in South Texas have an opportunity to gain valuable insight into financial management, tax planning, and pasture management at the upcoming Business Planning and Tax Management Workshop for Farmers and Ranchers.

This workshop brings together specialists and industry professionals to discuss key issues facing agricultural producers, including financial decision-making, cattle markets, tax considerations, and pasture management. [Read more…] about Business Planning and Tax Management Workshop for Farmers and Ranchers

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Economics of Herd Expansion: More Than Just High Prices

April 10, 2026 by karli.kaase

At the Warren Ranch on Friday, Jan 23, 2026 in College Station, Texas. (Hannah Harrison/Texas A&M AgriLife) At the Warren Ranch on Friday, Jan 23, 2026 in Hockley, Texas. (Hannah Harrison/Texas A&M AgriLife)

When cattle prices are strong, producers tend to start thinking about herd expansion. While high cattle prices and strong market signals often spark interest in growth, each producer has different costs, which changes the market signal to expand – some are earlier to expand, and some are later. Herd expansion is, at its core, an economic decision shaped by prices, costs, capital constraints, and risk. [Read more…] about The Economics of Herd Expansion: More Than Just High Prices

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Cotton Costs and Returns in 2026

March 13, 2026 by andrew.wright

Picture of a cotton plant

Cotton on the Texas A&M AgriLife Farm in Snook, Texas on Sept. 9, 2021. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications)

The 2026 crop and livestock budgets are available on the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Economics website. In today’s post, we break down the District 1 and District 2 cotton budgets and discuss what they imply about cotton costs and returns this year. [Read more…] about Cotton Costs and Returns in 2026

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Input Cost Outlook for 2026

February 19, 2026 by andrew.wright

Picture of a stack of coinsEconomists with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service have been updating the Texas crop and livestock budgets for 2026. In this post, we’ll discuss our expectations for four key costs: fertilizer, chemicals, fuel/energy, and interest rates. [Read more…] about Input Cost Outlook for 2026

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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Welcome!

The Amarillo Econ blog is a platform that provides regular updates to stakeholders in the world of agriculture on agricultural markets, research findings from agricultural economists, current issues facing the field of agriculture, and the implications of regularly released USDA reports.

We will also use the blog and social media under the Amarillo AgEcon banner to announce new tools and programs conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension faculty and staff.

There are two main types of blog posts on this page;

High Plains Ag Week: These posts talk a bit about the market movement over the week in corn, wheat, cotton, and fat and feeder cattle. We’ll also provide some insight into potential market movers and upcoming events for the following week. Additionally we’ll highlight interesting news stories from the week, and provide a list of upcoming deadlines for things like insurance and USDA program signups.

It Depends:

Where ‘High Plains Ag Week’ will mostly be posts about current events, the series called ‘It Depends’ functions more as an educational outlet. We’ll look at current events, or things we’re reading about and find interesting, and examine them through the lens of economics. We hope to use ‘It Depends’ to provide some answers to everyday questions from the world of economics, particularly as those questions relate to agriculture. On that note, if there are topics that you are interested in hearing about please let us know!

 

Whether you’re a farmer or rancher, in rural real estate, work in the commodity markets, provide products and services to producers, or you’re just new to the field of agriculture and want to learn more, we’ve got something for you.

 

You can follow us on Twitter @AmarilloAgecon, and like us on Facebook at Amarillo AgEcon.

 

Recent Posts

  • Considerations Before Making the Switch to Alternative Crops
  • The June Acreage Report Predicts More Cotton and Fewer Grains in Texas
  • Exciting Opportunity for Young and Small Producers: GROW Your AgriRoots Contest Offers $50,000 in Prizes

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