USDA ERS · state profile · NE · Midwest
Nebraska farm subsidy data
USDA farm program payments, conservation and disaster aid, crop receipts and net farm income for Nebraska (fiscal year 2023), from USDA ERS Farm Income & Wealth Statistics and the USDA NASS Census of Agriculture.
- Total payments
- $624M
- Conservation
- $136M
- Disaster aid
- $462M
- Net farm income (2023)
- $9.3B
What the Nebraska Farm Data Shows
Nebraska has received $624M in USDA farm program payments in fiscal year 2023, including $136M in conservation payments (CRP, EQIP, CSP) and $462M in disaster assistance (CFAP, MFP, LFP, ERP). Net farm income for 2023 came in at $9.3B, sitting on top of $34.3B in gross cash income and $31.2B in total cash receipts from all commodities. The leading program category for Nebraska is Disaster Assistance. These figures come straight from the USDA Economic Research Service Farm Income and Wealth Statistics release, the same source file that Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Farm Service Agency use when they score Farm Bill proposals.
Nebraska's agriculture is anchored by Cattle ($16.1B in cash receipts), Corn ($8.4B in cash receipts), Soybeans ($3.5B in cash receipts), with the top three commodities accounting for a significant share of the state's $31.2B in total cash receipts. The crop-insurance loss ratio, indemnities paid out divided by premiums collected, stands at 318%, with $$447M in premiums and $$1.4B in indemnity payments. A loss ratio above 100% means insurers paid out more in claims than they collected in premiums, a signal of significant yield or revenue shortfalls in recent years.
Reading Nebraska's farm data correctly means holding three lenses at once: commodity cash receipts (which track market activity), government payments (which track federal policy), and net farm income (which tracks actual economic outcomes). These three numbers move independently, a bumper crop year can drive up receipts while depressing prices and triggering government payments; a disaster year can crush receipts while unlocking indemnities and disaster aid. Use the payment history, county table, and nearby-state comparison below to benchmark Nebraska against its region before drawing conclusions about the health, resilience, or federal dependence of the state's agricultural economy.
Payment History (Recent Years)
| Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $499M |
| 2023 | $624M |
| 2022 | $559M |
| 2021 | $1.4B |
| 2020 | $2.5B |
| 2019 | $1.1B |
| 2018 | $687M |
| 2017 | $803M |
| 2016 | $854M |
| 2015 | $795M |
Cash Receipts by Commodity
Crop Insurance
Loss ratio = indemnities ÷ premiums. Above 100% means claims exceeded premiums.
Top counties in Nebraska by commodity sales
Top 5 Nebraska counties, commodity sales
Counties in Nebraska (93)
| County | Farms |
|---|---|
| Cuming | 832 |
| Platte | 902 |
| Lincoln | 995 |
| Dawson | 671 |
| Custer | 1,083 |
| Phelps | 340 |
| Antelope | 664 |
| Boone | 485 |
| Holt | 1,198 |
| Butler | 718 |
| Cedar | 850 |
| Kearney | 327 |
| Chase | 304 |
| Clay | 461 |
| Buffalo | 1,001 |
| Adams | 487 |
| Saunders | 1,143 |
| York | 498 |
| Knox | 950 |
| Fillmore | 496 |
| Dodge | 694 |
| Hamilton | 507 |
| Madison | 681 |
| Colfax | 456 |
| Webster | 350 |
Showing 1-25 of 93 counties, ranked by commodity sales.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024) USDA Economic Research Service, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024) County data: USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Nebraska receive in farm subsidies?
Nebraska has received $624M in total USDA government farm payments (fiscal year 2023), including $136M in conservation payments and $462M in disaster assistance.
What programs does Nebraska use most?
Nebraska's leading program category is Disaster Assistance. Key programs include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and disaster assistance programs like CFAP and ERP.
What is Nebraska's crop insurance loss ratio?
Nebraska's crop insurance loss ratio is 318%, meaning insurers paid out 318% of every dollar collected in premiums. A ratio above 100% indicates significant crop losses relative to premiums.
What is Nebraska's net farm income?
Nebraska's net farm income is $9.3B (2023), with gross cash income of $34.3B and total cash receipts of $31.2B. Net farm income measures total agricultural output minus production expenses.
How much conservation funding does Nebraska receive?
Nebraska has received $136M in conservation program payments (fiscal year 2023). These include programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), which support soil health, water quality, and habitat preservation.
What crops are most important to Nebraska's agriculture?
Nebraska's top agricultural commodities by cash receipts include Cattle ($16.1B), Corn ($8.4B), Soybeans ($3.5B). Total cash receipts across all commodities are $31.2B.
Agricultural Income
Compare in Midwest
More Nebraska farm data
Sources: USDA ERS · USDA NASS Census of Agriculture
USDA Economic Research Service
Farm Income and Wealth Statistics
Released: February 5, 2026
Coverage: fiscal year 2023
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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Every figure on PlainFarmData is rendered directly from the USDA Census of Agriculture and farm-subsidy program data, no number is typed in by an editor. State farm data is compiled directly from the USDA Census of Agriculture, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.