Strong crop yields, historically high beef prices and substantial government payments pushed Kansas net farm income to unexpectedly high levels in 2025, according to the annual report released by the Kansas Farm Management Association.
The report shows average net farm income across the state reached $212,494 in 2025, more than double the average reported in each of the previous two years.
“2025 was an unexpected year for us,” said Mark Dikeman, KFMA’s executive director. “We ended up the year with net farm income across the state averaging $212,494. We certainly did not expect income to be nearly that high.”
The report on 2025 net farm income reflects the averages for 754 Kansas farms working with KFMA economists in the six regions of the state. KFMA economists work individually with farm families to provide farm-specific production and financial management information that can be used for decision-making.
KFMA was formed in 1931.
Dikeman said Kansas producers averaged about $100,000 in net farm income in both 2023 and 2024. “So to jump to almost $213,000 was quite a surprise,” he said.
KFMA’s report identified three major factors behind the increase in profitability: above-average crop yields, large government payments and strong livestock income, particularly in the beef sector.
Dikeman said soybean yields were especially strong in 2025, averaging 50 bushels per acre statewide. Corn yields averaged 127 bushels per acre, wheat averaged 58 bushels and grain sorghum, commonly called milo, averaged 92 bushels per acre.
“Bushels can contribute to profitability, even when prices are not as strong as what the producer might expect,” Dikeman said.
Soybean yields were about 48% higher than the five-year average, while irrigated crop yields also posted sizable gains.
The average Kansas farm in the report operated about 1,800 crop acres in 2025, slightly higher than recent years, which Dikeman said reflects a continuing trend toward larger farm operations.
overnment payments also played a major role in boosting farm income. Dikeman said average livestock-related government payments totaled about $5,400 per farm, while crop-related payments averaged nearly $105,000.
Dikeman noted that data published through KFMA are accrual calculations.
“Because we calculate net farm income on an accrual basis, we treat some government payments a little differently,” he said. “The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) was received in 2025 but was based on 2024 acres and was earned in 2024, so it was treated as accrued income in 2024. The net farm income figure for 2025 does not include that payment.”
“The Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program payments were treated similarly for 2025. Those payments were based on 2025 acres and known at the end of 2025, so we included them in 2025 accrual income.”
Combined, government assistance payments exceeded $110,000 per farm on average. The largest portion of these payments came through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, or SDRP, and FBA. SDRP payments averaged nearly $39,000 per farm, while FBA payments averaged about $51,000.
“So between the two of those, that was almost 82% of all government payments received,” Dikeman said. “A significant portion of 2025 net farm income did come from government payments.”
Despite the large payments, Dikeman noted government support accounted for a smaller share of income in 2025 than in 2024. Government payments represented about 52% of net farm income in 2025, compared with roughly 70% the previous year.
The report also found that net crop insurance proceeds were negative statewide, meaning Kansas farmers paid more in premiums than they received in claims. The average difference was about negative $5,200 per farm.
“The final part that explains high net farm income in 2025 is really coming from livestock, and particularly the beef sector,” Dikeman said.
According to the report, farms with no livestock revenue averaged about $125,000 in net farm income. Farms receiving at least 30% of their revenue from beef operations averaged approximately $289,000.
KFMA has tracked net farm income since 1970. After adjusting for inflation, Dikeman said 2025 ranked as the second-highest year on record for government program payments, trailing only 2020.
Still, he cautions that strong 2025 profits may not carry into the coming year.
“The outlook for 2026 is not nearly as rosy as we saw in 2025,” he said. “We sure encourage our producers to save money to prepare and be ready for lower years.”
By region/association, KFMA reported 2025 net farm income in Kansas as follows:
- Northwest — $256,256
- Southwest — $167,018
- North Central — $226,555
- South Central — $148,381
- Northeast — $201,096
- Southeast — $227,804
Dikeman and economists from the six KFMA regions recently gave an overview of net farm income during an interview on the weekday radio program, Agriculture Today, which is available online from K-State Extension.
More detail is also available online in the 2025 KFMA Executive Summary.
