(CHAMPAIGN) In its first look at 2026 Illinois crop budgets, the University of Illinois farmdoc team expects negative average returns to continue for the fourth straight crop year for producers using corn and soybean rotations on cash rented farmland across all regions of the state. The 2026 budget estimates look much like this year, in 2o25, with a few changes including increased costs on items like interest, machinery repair, corn fertilizer, and hired labor. Farmdoc will continue to revise both the 2025 & 2026 budget estimates periodically. To view a full breakdown of the information, go to the farmdocdaily.illinois.edu website.
