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Rising inputs impacting livestock producers

A beef nutritionist says rising input costs has put additional pressure on livestock producers this year.

Dr. Brandon Koch with Kent Nutrition Group tells Brownfield, “Monocalcium phosphate that we use in livestock mineral for cows has gone up significantly,” he said. “That bag of mineral, nothing has changed nutritionally, but it’s gone up from somewhere in that $20-to-$22 per bag range to $28.”

He says mineral costs are adding up. “A cow is going to eat about two bags with a little bit of shrink factored in there. You’re talking about an extra $10-to-$12 per cow just to feed mineral every single year.”

While margins are tight, Koch says that doesn’t mean producers aren’t seeing solid returns. “Input costs have gone up, but we can still sell the animal for more, which is really nice.”

He spoke to Brownfield during a Fall Ag Roundtable program hosted by KWPC, Muscatine on Thursday.