While farmers are facing financial stress, a new report called Surviving the Farm Economy Downturn says it does not compare with the farm crisis days of the 1980s. The report is a joint project of the Extension Service in the southern United States. It says farm production costs have been sticky and may be a permanent change rather than a temporary situation. The report said government payments are playing a larger role in stabilizing farm income. International trade is also important, with 35 percent of farm income coming from exports.
