The outlook for the farm economy remains weak.

The 1985 outlook reflects lower prices for both crops and livestock, the Agriculture Department said. “With crop production expected to rise, prices are likely to remain well below last year, leaving total crop cash receipts near those in 1984,” the department’s Economic Research Service said. “Livestock receipts will likely fall in 1985 as prices average below last year.” As a result, net farm income--a measure of income generated by production in a given year--is forecast at $20 billion to $25 billion in 1985, down from an estimated $33 billion to $36 billion in 1984.