input costs

Whether 2023 is going to be a wet year, a dry year or something in between, weed control will be important for Northwest cereal and grain growers.  Eric Scherder, U.S. Crop Protection Launch Leader at Corteva AgriScience, said weed control is an annual challenge, so over the past two or three years, they have launched a variety of products brining in multiple modes and sites of action.   “... Read

Thanks to record high input costs and very volatile interest rates, the farm economy can sometimes be difficult to navigate for the most seasoned grower.  But what about for those new to the world of farming?  What does the outlook look like for them?   Jackson Ta...

Bryan Searle says while 2022 was a challenging year thanks to input costs, for Idaho producers the previous year was a good one.  The President of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation says potato, hay and other growers enjoyed really good yields, and strong prices.  But unf...

In its report for ag prices during the month of November, the USDA said the plusses outweighed the minuses.  Resulting in the prices received index going up 4.5%, and jumping 23% when compared to November 2021.  The index of prices paid by farmers to do business showing no increase at all in November that index still 11% higher than a year ago.   When it co...

Many in the wheat industry are happy to see 2022 behind them and look forward to hopefully better days in the New Year.  The past year was a challenge for wheat producers across the PNW and beyond.  Between international unrest, high input costs and continuing drought conditions from 2021, there were many issues that made the past year a challenging one.   Britany Hu...

The past year was a mixed bag for Northwest producers.  Several growers enjoyed near record profits thanks to high commodity prices and government subsidies.  But unfortunately, high input prices cut into those gains, making 2022 flat or even a negative year for some across the region.  When it comes to ...

A bipartisan group of House members is urging the Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act as the end of the current Congress quickly approaches.  The House has already cleared the bipartisan legislation twice, but it continually gets held up in the Senate.  Idaho R...

According to the 2022 Ag Lender Survey, produced by the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac, interest rate volatility is the top concern heading into 2023.  Jackson Takach, chief economist with Farmer Mac, said when it comes to the overall strength of the farm economy, most respondents said the Ag economy is showing improvements.   “...

The Farm Credit Administration received a quarterly report on economic issues affecting U.S. agriculture and an update on the performance of the Farm Credit System.  Inflation and rising interest rates continue to be major economic issues despite a recent slowdown in inflation.  Consume...

The past couple of years have been fairly good for farm country, financially speaking.  But will that trend continue into the future?   That was one of the hot topics at the 70th Annual American Bankers Association Ag Bankers Conference.  Curt Covingt...