US Corn Farmers' Productivity Advantage Eroded by Higher Input Costs

The National Corn Growers Association has released a report highlighting the impact of input prices on US corn competitiveness in the global market. According to Krista Swanson, NCGA's chief economist, 'U.S. farmers are the most productive and efficient producers of corn in the world.'

However, despite their superior productivity, US farmers are facing challenges due to higher input costs. The report notes that producing more output with fewer inputs should create a durable competitive advantage, but this has not been the case in recent years.

The NCGA spent months digging into input costs for both US and Brazilian farmers on a per-unit basis, revealing that US farmers are at a disadvantage when it comes to paying for the same or similar inputs. 'Looking at per-bushel or per-acre costs does not tell a complete story,' Swanson says.