Year-to-year farm bankruptcies increased 23 percent, according to recently released data from U.S. Courts, according to an American Farm Bureau Federation Market Intel report. The data shows a total of 627 filings during the 12-month period ending March 2020, marking five consecutive years of chapter 12 bankruptcy increases, including an accelerated rate since January. Wisconsin was the hardest hit with 78 filings in the 12-month period, followed by Nebraska with 41 chapter 12 filings and Iowa at 37. More than 50 percent of the chapter 12 filings were in the 13-state Midwest region, followed by 19 percent in the Southeast.
