CBS: Kansas farm costs jump $737,375 as bankruptcies rise
CBS News reports a Kansas family farm faced $737,375 more in 2026 operating costs and $325,000 less revenue, as Midwest farm bankruptcies rose 70%.
The story in focus
CBS News reports a Kansas family farm paid $737,375 more to operate in 2026 than the prior year while earning $325,000 less revenue. The report links higher fertilizer, diesel and parts costs, a 20% drought-driven yield decline and low commodity prices to a split among farmers in the state's Senate race.
- The Preisser family's farm cost $737,375 more to operate in 2026, including $514,625 more for fertilizer and $187,000 more for diesel
- Drought cut their crop yields by 20% and revenue fell $325,000 from 2025 to 2026
- Kansas lost 700 farms from 2024 to 2025; Midwest farm bankruptcies rose 70% over the same period
- USDA projects record U.S. farm debt of $624.7 billion in 2026, per CBS News
- An April Farm Journal survey found 73% of farmers said elected officials understand their realities not very well or not at all
Operating costs and revenue
CBS News reported that the Preisser family farm in Sylvia, Kansas, spent $737,375 more to operate in 2026 than the year before. The family attributed $514,625 of that increase to fertilizer and $187,000 to diesel, costs CBS said jumped during the Iran war, plus $10,000 more for parts tied to steel tariffs.
Drought reduced the farm's crop yields by 20%, commodity prices were low, and trade wars shrank agricultural exports, leaving the operation with $325,000 less revenue from 2025 to 2026. Jeff Preisser said he refinanced all his land and has no remaining equity, and he is unsure whether the 6,500-acre corn, cotton, soybean and wheat farm will survive through next year.
Industry strain and political response
CBS reported that Kansas lost 700 farms from 2024 to 2025 and that Midwest farm bankruptcies rose 70% over the same period. Nationally, farm bankruptcies rose 46% in 2025, according to the National Farm Bureau, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects farm debt will reach a record $624.7 billion in 2026.
President Trump announced an $8 billion program for temporary fuel relief for farmers at a midterm rally near Wichita. The Preisser family called it a short-term fix and said they need long-term resolution on crop and fertilizer prices. An April survey sponsored by Farm Journal found more farmers trust Republicans on industry issues, but 73% said elected officials understand their realities not very well or not at all.
What drove the Preisser family farm's higher costs and lower revenue in 2026?
CBS News reported $737,375 more in operating costs, led by fertilizer and diesel, a 20% drought-driven yield decline, low commodity prices and smaller exports, producing $325,000 less revenue from 2025 to 2026.
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