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Inputs remain high, Iowa farmer says

Pictured: Iowa Corn President Stu Swanson at the 2025 Commodity Classic (Photo by Brent Barnett/Brownfield)

The president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association says input costs are a concern for producers heading into planting season.

Stu Swanson tells Brownfield, “Fertilizer has been slow to come down. In some cases, it’s even higher than a year ago. From a land and machinery price, we’ve seen a little bit of softening. Some of those other inputs like seed and chemicals are kind of steady going forward.”

He says he’s trying to cut back on costs. “We need to tighten our belt. The first way we can do that is look at family living expenses. We’ve addressed some of those. We certainly look at other inputs we’re using and make sure we maximize return on investment of all of those products.”

Swanson raises his crops in Wright County in north-central Iowa. He spoke to Brownfield at the 2025 Commodity Classic.