Input Costs & Producer Inflation
USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden discusses a $180 million seed initiative, fertilizer supply, biofuels, exports, and the outlook for farmers.
Dairy margins are expected to tighten as feed costs rise and milk prices remain relatively steady.
President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order to lower diesel costs, including expanding access to tax-exempt dyed diesel as farmers face high harvest fuel prices.
Ohio’s 90-day fuel-tax suspension provides temporary relief as farmers work through harvest, but Brad Bales with the Ohio Farm Bureau says longer-term solutions are needed to address higher production costs.
Farmers are weighing marketing opportunities as high input costs continue to pressure margins.
Winning bids averaged about $1.3 million as demand for 2027 grain rail capacity increased.
Mid-Atlantic farmers are locking in 2027 fertilizer contracts now, as nitrogen imports and market uncertainty make input-cost planning a key risk-management concern.
Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index finds that higher input costs and tariffs are pressuring farm income, equipment sales, and the rural economy.