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2021 Iowa Custom Rates decline, but there’s a caveat

The 2021 Custom Rate Survey conducted by Iowa State University indicates custom workers are charging less, but one of the authors of the survey says there’s a caveat.

ISU Extension economist Alejandro Plastina tells Brownfield there was an overall decline in custom rates from February 2020 to February 2021.

“Things have changed since February, commodity prices have been going up (and) diesel prices have increased by 5 to 10 percent in some areas. So there might be room for rates to adjust to somewhat higher levels.”

The survey results were based on nearly 120 responses and more than 3,700 custom rates provided by Iowa farmers, custom operators, and farm managers.

Plastina says some of the most common custom farm jobs occur post-harvest like tillage, discing, and stalk chopping.