Fertilizer costs could be 40% of corn growers’ budgets this year

Input costs are still a big issue for farmers, an issue that has been around for several years now. This year, fertilizer costs are expected to be around 40 percent of the budget for corn growers.

Researchers at the University of Illinois say that number is closer to 28 percent for soybean growers. Over the last quarter century, they found that the global fertilizer market has expanded, with countries like China, Russia, Canada, and the United States becoming major fertilizer suppliers.

Most of these, U.S. included, rely on imports to meet our own fertilizer needs. Market analysts say it is important for farmers to understand the structure of the fertilizer market, as well as the risks.

Related Stories
StoneX analyst Josh Linville says global supply risks and continued dependence on imported urea are keeping fertilizer markets on edge.
For farmers, better data may not solve every local rail problem, but it can make service failures easier to document.
At the center of the announcement is the Blue Point Project in Louisiana, a $3.7 billion ammonia facility, USDA says, that will become the world’s largest ammonia plant once completed.
Cotton growers can use the survey to compare nutrient, herbicide, and pest-management practices against national production benchmarks.
Fred Nichols with Huma joins us to discuss the 4 R’s of nutrient stewardship and how farmers are adapting best practices in today’s evolving ag economy.
Potato growers now have a fresh benchmark for comparing fertilizer, pesticide, and pest-management practices across major production states.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Recognizing phosphorus and potash as critical minerals underscores their importance in crop production and food security, providing producers with an added layer of risk protection.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer shares insight into what these new accounts, established in provisions of the Big, Beautiful Bill, could mean for the farm families.
AFBF Economist Danny Munch shares how passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act could give the dairy industry a needed boost.
Jan and Erin Johnson also join FarmHER + RanchHER host Kirbe Schnoor on this week’s Dirt Diaries podcast to dig in on entrepreneurship, legacy, and letting go.
Texas Cattle Feeders Association Chairman Robby Kirkland explains how the ongoing U.S.-Mexico border closure impacts feed yards that rely on Mexican cattle due to the New World Screwworm.
While the U.S.-China framework for soybean trade is in place, Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs tells us he will believe it when he sees it.