The rural and farm finance policy analysis center (raff) is a congressionally mandated policy research center under cooperative agreement with the office of the chief economist and provides congress…

The Department of Agriculture Office of the Chief Economist awarded the University of Missouri System a $1.431 million Cooperative Agreement on September 30, 2025, under the Agricultural and Food Policy Research Centers program (CFDA 10.291) to operate the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RAFF).

RAFF delivers forward-looking farm financial data and forecasts to Congress and agricultural stakeholders. Deliverables include state-level farm income models, forecasts of farmland values and cash rents, and the RAFF Stress Dashboard—a public resource that transforms an early warning system of farm financial stress (comprising financial indicators and advisory panel interpretation) into an information source for state policymakers developing relief policies for distressed farmers and ranchers. The Center expands state-level modeling to include California and Florida, bringing covered states to twelve. RAFF also develops economic models to analyze government payment programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program, estimating the effects of proposed changes on producer income and program participation to support more efficient policymaking.

Performance occurs in Missouri. The period of performance runs through September 29, 2027. The program funds congressionally mandated policy research centers that provide objective, nonpartisan economic analysis on agricultural sectors, environment, rural economies, and food and nutrition to inform federal policy development. Funds are awarded directly to the ultimate recipient; this is not a pass-through program.

The rural and farm finance policy analysis center (raff) is a congressionally mandated policy research center under cooperative agreement with the office of the chief economist and provides congress with data for policy development: and forward-looking estimates of local/state-level farm financial indicators. These data are used by congress to understand how their decisions and other external events affect the ability of farmers and ranchers to make a profit; they are also used by agricultural lenders, input suppliers and other stakeholders to set business priorities. This project works closely with states to build and expand models of state-level farm income for key agricultural states and will add california and florida to bring the total to 12 states. This agreement also develops economic models to support analysis of government payments - for example, the environmental quality incentives program and the conservation stewardship program - that estimates the effects of proposed changes to these programs on producer income and program participation, thus providing policymakers more information to make these program more efficient while meeting the needs of producers. Deliverables include the data on farm financial indicators, forecasts of farmland agreement values and cash rents, and also the raff stress dashboard. The dashboard transforms the early warning system of farm financial stress (a compilation of about a dozen financial indicators and interpretation by an advisory panel of agricultural economists developed in a previous cooperative) into a public resource. The dashboard will be an information source for states and other decisionmakers developing policies to provide relief for distressed farmers and ranchers.