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U.S. Mortgaged Farms, 1950; Estimates by Ratio of Debt to Value
No full textThe report supplements previously published data by presenting statistics on: (1) Number of, acreage in, and value of mortgaged farms in 1950 by ratio of debt to value of all land owned by the mortgagor, by tenure, by geographic divisions; (2) average acreage and value of mortgaged farms and average value per acre of all land in mortgaged farms in 1950 by ratio of debt to value of all land owned by the mortgagor, by tenure, by geographic divisions; (3) distribution of farm-mortgage debt in 1951 by ratio of debt to value of all land owned by the mortgagor, by tenure, by geographic divisions; (4) number, average acreage, and average value of mortgaged farms, and average value per acre of land in mortgaged farms in 1950 by ratio of debt to value of all land owned by the mortgagor, by States and geographic divisions; and (5) acreage and value of land mortgaged and not mortgaged in mortgaged farms in 1950, by tenure, by geographic divisions
Farm Family Income – Its Distribution and Relation to Non-Farm Income
No full textExcerpts from the report Introduction: There is at present widespread concern over farm incomes and the problems associated with farm incomes. In part, this concern stems from evidence that farm incomes have been stationary or declining during a period when nonfarm incomes have been increasing. This general concern is related also to the wide variations in levels of farm income that occur among regions or areas. Because of these trends in farm income, there has been in some quarters concern about the future of the "family farm." This report was prepared as a contribution to existing information about the distribution of farm income and the relationship of farm and nonfarm income within relatively homogeneous areas of the various States. The geographic segments used for presentation of data are the 360 State economic areas of the United States. These relatively homogeneous areas were delineated by the Bureau of the Census in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, other interested Federal agencies, and the State agricultural colleges. The income data for families and unrelated individuals that were used are total money income for the year 1949. This total money income consists of: (1) Wages and salaries received, (2) net money income received from farm and nonfarm self-employment, and (3) other income received, such as interest, dividends, rents, royalties, veterans' allowances, and pensions
The Determinants of Bulk Truck Rates (Summary)
No full textExcerpts: Given producers’ heavy reliance on trucking—as well as the significance of trucking costs for agricultural bulk products—this research provides a detailed nationwide analysis of the key trends in agricultural trucking activities and the factors affecting agricultural bulk truck rates in a first-of-its-kind study. Such information is useful in making operating decisions (including truck ownership and mode choice tradeoffs); negotiating rates; and understanding where and when to ship. Such information can also be helpful in forecasting rates and understanding relevant policy implications (e.g., the impact of increased fuel taxes). The determinants of bulk truck rates were identified using a set of panel data models. Each model was estimated on truck rate data collected from Bulkloads.com, an online truck service loadboard specializing in bulk freight shipments. These data provide historical information on weekly bulk load shipment transactions from January 2017 through December 2023. The data include trailer type, commodity type, truck rate per mile, and truck rate per ton for origin-destination city pairs throughout the United States. Bulk commodities in the data include feed ingredients, fertilizer, grain, industrial, aggregates, metal/recycling, liquid, and other. Truck rates from each origin State to each destination State were assumed to be a function of fuel prices, wages, unemployment, and gross domestic product (GDP)
Looking beyond the Economic Transformation Bill: Three Steps Sri Lanka Can Take to Increase the Supply of High-Quality Investment Zones
No full textThis note proposes three steps Sri Lanka could take to construct and manage high quality Investment Zones, drawing from regional and global best practices. First, is enacting a separate, overarching legislation to govern Zones. Second, is enhancing the quality of Zones by mandating minimum quality standards and establishing minimum criteria for selecting investors to develop and manage Zones. Third, is preventing conflicts of interest by separating the roles and responsibilities of regulators, developers, and operators and establishing a level playing field by ensuring regulatory independence. Underlying these proposals is the recognition that Sri Lanka needs to have a more robust regulatory framework than what is provided in the Economic Transformation Bill (ETB) gazetted on May 14, 2024. The need for such a framework is higher in Sri Lanka, given the scarcity of land and intense competition in the Asian region for foreign investments. The recommendations address three critical problems that have made Sri Lanka fall behind many of its regional peers. First, Sri Lanka has under-invested in both the quantity and quality of Zones. Second, it has exclusively depended on the public sector to build and manage Zones. Third, the country lacks an appropriate regulatory framework to attract private sector investment in Zones and to enhance their quality and performance. While the ETB is an important attempt to resolve these issues, the proposals outlined underscore the need to look beyond the ETB in setting up a regulatory framework to govern Zones
The Desirability of Domestic Debt Restructuring
No full textSri Lanka faces a challenge to emerge from the continuing economic crisis of unsustainable public debt. This paper sets out four important reasons to undertake an early domestic debt restructuring (DDR), by way of reprofiling the capital repayments. This will allow Sri Lanka to restore debt sustainability and economic stability more quickly, resiliently, and fairly, under the present dynamics. First, DDR provides a faster pathway toward solvency for the Government of Sri Lanka. Second, it provides the foundations for the stability of the economy (macro stability). Third, it reduces the likelihood of needing subsequent sovereign debt restructuring, and fourth, it facilitates a more equitable sharing of the costs to overcome the economic crisis
Expansion of Brazil’s Soybean and Corn Lands: An Outlook for 2026 and Beyond
No full textBrazil’s soybean and corn sectors are expected to continue expanding beyond 2026, reinforcing Brazil’s role as a dominant competitor in global grain markets and intensifying competitive pressures on U.S. producers. This brief examines the drivers, limits, and implications of Brazil’s cropland expansion, with particular emphasis on double-cropping systems and the conversion of degraded pasturelands. Using recent acreage, production, and land-use data, the analysis documents near-exponential growth in soybean area since 2010 and sustained expansion in corn acreage, largely supported by the widespread adoption of safrinha (second-crop) corn. Results indicate that double cropping has been the dominant margin of growth over the past decade, while external land expansion has occurred primarily through pasture-to-cropland conversion rather than direct deforestation. Although future expansion is expected to slow, substantial potential remains due to remaining degraded pasture, continued infrastructure improvements, and strong domestic and international demand, particularly for corn ethanol. Climate risks, planting delays, and environmental policies are likely to constrain further growth in double cropping, while stronger enforcement of Brazil’s Forest Code and zero-deforestation commitments limit expansion from forest conversion. The analysis further evaluates implications for U.S.–Brazil competition, highlighting increasing overlap in harvest timing, narrowing logistical advantages, and heightened exposure of U.S. export-oriented regions to global price pressure. Overall, Brazil’s sustained land expansion underscores the importance of cost control, infrastructure investment, and stable demand policies for maintaining U.S. agricultural competitiveness
OBBB Delivers Historic Increase to Sugar Loan Rates
No full textThis brief looks at the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) on the USDA sugar loan program. The Act implemented substantial rate hikes, raising raw cane sugar to 24 cents per pound and refined beet sugar to 32.77 cents per pound. While high market prices have historically prevented loan forfeitures since 2013, this analysis shows that recent price declines combined with the OBBB’s higher loan rates have significantly narrowed the gap. By late 2025, the margin between spot prices and the loan rate for refined beet sugar shrank to 16 percent, increasing the potential for active price support
Opportunities and Problems in Utilizing Wood Products in the Southern and South Central Forests
No full textSummary: Rebuilding of the South's pine forests and broader utilization of its hardwood stands are essential to the economic health of the region's forest industries. Southern pine lumber markets have suffered because of much low-quality lumber cut from small, low-grade trees typical of the under stocked, poorly managed smaller forest ownerships. Intense competition for stumpage from the rapidly expanding pulp industry has resulted in premature heavy cutting. Full stocking, better stand management, integrated utilization, and better protection from natural enemies, together with genetic research aimed at higher-quality growing stock, are essential to the redevelopment of southern pine. New products such as laminated wood, fiberboards, and particle boards offer promise of utilizing small or low-grade timber and mill refuse. Hardwoods predominate in many areas, including former pine lands. Cull trees exceed one-third of the hardwood growing stock. Improved quality is badly needed. Greater use of hardwoods for pulping will result from increased use of the semichemical processes. Fiberboards, charcoal, and new chemical processes under development can be expected to utilize much hardwood cull timber, permitting management practices designed to maintain essential supplies of high-quality sawtimber for lumber and veneer
E-Government Procurement: Enabling Business through Efficient Systems
No full textPublic procurement is a key instrument through which governments deliver important social and economic goods to citizens. Public procurement in Sri Lanka currently suffers from three main weaknesses. First, information related to procurement, such as tender opportunities and contract awards, is difficult to access. Second, bidding imposes high transaction costs on businesses and government agencies, including costs associated with preparing and submitting bids. Third, Sri Lanka’s procurement marketplace has featured anti-competitive practices leading to corruption. Strengthening public procurement in Sri Lanka requires steps to be taken to enhance its efficiency, cost-effectiveness and competitiveness. The report recommends application of electronic systems to the public procurement process or adopting e-Government Procurement (E-GP) as a way to solve some of the identified problems. The report highlights four enabling factors that will strengthen E-GP in Sri Lanka
Gender Equality and Food System Resilience
No full textGender dynamics within food systems illustrate deep-seated structural inequalities that impede progress toward economic, social, nutritional, and environmental objectives. This presentation explores the progression from key concepts to measurement and solutions, underscoring the influence of gender across the food system and the strategies required to reshape these dynamics. A range of methodologies now exist that can be used to examine and highlight how gender dynamics in society affects food system transformation. Evidence-based solutions addressing structural inequality—such as cash transfers, community-based initiatives, and gender-sensitive financial inclusion in agriculture—are emerging in rural contexts and provide promising models of change. Transformative laws, national programs, and policy frameworks play a critical role in reinforcing and scaling such community driven efforts. Altogether, this presentation builds a conceptual, empirical, and rights-based argument for sustained investment in social transformation—through measurement, targeted solutions, and policy innovation—to advance global food system goals