US Farmers Struggle with Soaring Agricultural Input Prices

Agricultural input prices are skyrocketing in the US, leaving farmers struggling to compete with Brazilian growers. Senator Chuck Grassley has urged President Donald Trump to intervene, pointing out that research commissioned by the National Corn Growers Association shows substantial price disparities between the two countries.

The study found that US corn seed prices averaged 68% above Brazilian levels, including a 63% premium for summer corn and 74% for winter corn. Corn fungicides averaged 120% more, herbicides 119% more, and insecticides 87% more in the US compared to Brazil.

While currency fluctuations can't fully explain the disparity, the research suggests that a combination of product availability, market structure, regulation, and the mix of products farmers purchase contribute to the higher costs. Brazilian producers have broader access to lower-cost generic and single-active-ingredient products, whereas US markets are more heavily weighted toward premium premixes and products supplied by major global research-and-development manufacturers.

The National Corn Growers Association warns that persistent cost premiums can ultimately weaken financial resilience and restrict farmers' ability to invest in technology, conservation practices, and productivity improvements. The debate could also spill into broader farm policy, with NCGA arguing for greater input-market transparency and better access to competitive products and technologies while maintaining safety and stewardship standards.

Grassley's appeal puts the economic question directly before the White House: whether the productivity gains created through genetics, precision agriculture, agronomy, and decades of investment are translating into stronger returns at the farm gate or being absorbed elsewhere in the supply chain.