Input Costs & Producer Inflation
Strong demand supports sweet potatoes, but grading challenges and rising costs weigh on returns for Southeastern growers.
Fertilizer still consumes an unusually large share of crop value.
Pollination costs remain volatile, raising planning risk for specialty crop producers.
The USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum highlights modest price support from tighter supplies across cotton, grains, dairy, livestock, and sugar into 2026.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week to accelerate domestic production of phosphorus and glyphosate, signaling that farm input availability is now treated as a national security risk.
Smaller supplies could support cotton prices despite weak demand.
Weskan Grain CEO Will Bramblett discusses the antitrust lawsuit filed by grain farmers and agribusinesses, and its potential implications on rail competition and market access.
Adequate transportation capacity exists, but fuel costs and soft river demand could widen basis risk.
Lower oil prices may trim input costs but pressure biofuel demand.
Tight storage could widen basis and limit marketing flexibility.