Farm Credit Services Council President and CEO Christy Seyfert says the farm economy remains challenging, but conditions vary widely across agriculture. Speaking at the American Sugarbeet Growers Association meeting in Indian Wells, California, Seyfert says not all producers are facing the same level of stress. “It’s not all doom and gloom. Every situation is different. This is not the 80s for some. It feels like it probably is because it can be very tough, but what we’re seeing is every farmer is situated differently and there are a lot of variables that impact how they’re doing right now.”
Seyfert says financial pressure is affecting multiple sectors and highlights growing concern about mental health in farm country. “There are folks who are maybe hurting that I didn’t know were hurting before I joined Farm Credit. It’s not just the hurt that’s confined to row crops, but wine grapes and almonds. The suicide rate for farmers is three and a half times that of the general public. Any loss is heartbreaking, especially to know in agriculture there are folks who maybe don’t see that there’s help, that there’s hope, that there’s a path out of the challenge that they’re in.”
