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2022 concerns rolling into 2023 for Illinois farmer

A south central Illinois farmer says some of his top concerns for 2023 are issues carrying over from last year.

Gary Berg of St. Elmo tells Brownfield input prices remain top of mind. “Last year we paid three times for anhydrous ammonia for our corn than what we did the year before. Input prices have come down a little bit but they are still really high.”

He says a good growing season and favorable commodity prices helped last year, but you can’t always count on that.

Berg says as he hauls grain to St. Louis this month, he continues to monitor water levels on the Mississippi River.

“But the good news is we have had enough rain, I don’t know that it’s back to completely normal but I know they’re able to load the barges a lot heavier than what they were able to during harvest. Right now, knock on wood, things are looking pretty good there.”

And Berg says the lack of new machinery available and demand for used equipment continues to pose a challenge as farmers plan to make upgrades in the coming years.