News

Better data could help farmers manage input costs

The president and CEO of the Fertilizer Institute says he’s optimistic the USDA’s new input economist can fill the data and transparency gap in fertilizer and input markets.

Corey Rosenbusch tells Brownfield “They need to understand how these markets work, what drives prices, what does supply look like, because that’s what’s going to help them make decisions about their input, planning, budgeting, cost, etc.”

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins recently said the USDA is immediately beginning a search for a full-time input economist focused on monitoring farm input costs.

Rosenbusch says with a new economist, the USDA may be able to improve price transparency without waiting for Congress to pass legislation like the Fertilizer Transparency Act.

“The pricing is already available. It’s out there. We can get that information. It’s just it’s not packaged in a way and communicated in a way that growers can access it and understand it.”

While the effort could improve data access, fertilizer prices are volatile and availability concerns remain amid the conflict in the Middle East.