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Lower yields, skyrocketing input prices lead to thin margins for farmers

A Nebraska farmer says rising input costs and historic drought will make it more challenging for some farmers to raise a profitable crop this year.

Dan Wesley farms an hour north of Lincoln and says he paid nearly $1500 a ton for anhydrous ammonia. “That’s more than 3 times or 4 times the money than what we paid a couple of years ago.  Certainly, grain prices are higher, but this year yields are going to be down and we’re going to all we can to make a profit or even break even.”

He tells Brownfield profit margins could get thinner next year depending on the availability of some crop protection tools. “Right now, high, high fertilizer prices and high chemical prices are in question in what we’ll be able to use so it will be a challenge.”

Wesley spoke with Brownfield at the 2022 Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, NE.