Minnesota Farm Bureau sees affordability remaining a challenge for farmers

The director of public policy for Minnesota Farm Bureau is tempering expectations that production costs will be quick to come down following the mid-term elections.

Loren Dauer says he suspects many newly elected officials ran on the message of affordability.

“I’m sure that was probably well received by a lot of constituents in farm country, but I think this is still a continuing issue. With what we’ve seen with inflationary prices and interest rates since COVID in 2020, have only been hyper-increased through some of the decisions this last year.”

He tells Brownfield the Iran war has further inflated the cost of fuel and fertilizer.

“This is something farmers have been experiencing over the last several years, and it’s really been very much a point in what they’re trying to address. So I would like to see and would expect that individuals in that Blue Dog Caucus focusing on that.”

Dauer says it will be difficult for Congress to get much done the next two years with a Republican president and Democrat majorities in the House and Senate.