Dairy overproduction triggers steep Idaho farm income drop

Idaho farm income plummeted for a second consecutive year in 2018, due largely to overproduction by the state’s dairy producers. Idaho’s net farm income has continued on a prolonged downward spiral and also dropped about 27 percent in 2017 from the prior year.“It’s the fifth year that’s declined in net farm income. It’s pretty rough,” Eborn said. “Farmers are making 40 percent of what they were making in 2011. There’s low prices for everything.”Cash receipts have mostly increased for Idaho’s major crops: the economists estimated hay receipts rose 26 percent, wheat rose 16 percent and barley and sugar beet payments were both up 3 percent. Receipts for potatoes were down by 4 percent.