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Iowa grower says high input costs could force changes to fertility plans

A south-central Iowa farmer says budgeting for 2026 expenses is going to be a difficult task.

“Nitrogen and phosphorus are up again and that’s counter to what usually happens when commodity prices are low,” said Knoxville grower Steve Kuiper.

Kuiper tells Brownfield that cutting back on inputs is a real possibility.

“We’re looking at it really close,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out our plan for fertility. We really don’t want to have to cut back on fertility, but we have to optimize everything as much as possible.”

He says his management decisions will be made on a farm-by-farm basis.

“We’ve got some soil tests that need to be taken this year. We can take a look and see what those fertility levels are and then adjust accordingly.”

Kuiper says he’s concerned about the increasing level of financial stress that many farmers are facing.