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Rising input costs impacting cattle producers

The executive vice president of the Illinois Beef Association says cattle producers are feeling the sting of skyrocketing input costs.

Josh St. Peters says the majority of the organization’s members are also row crop farmers, so rising fuel and fertilizer prices have an impact.

“When we’re finishing cattle in Illinois, we’re doing that largely with corn.”  He says, “Much of that corn is raised on the farms where these cattle are fed. And so, it has a net effect on their balance sheets just the same.”

He tells Brownfield that rising fuel costs are also impacting transportation budgets for producers moving animals to market.

“Fuel is a reality for everybody.”  He says, “Fertilizer costs also, though, are something that come into play for folks who have grazing operations because they manage those acres with fertilizer to get optimal production. And that’s really expensive in this marketplace today.”

St. Peters says record cattle prices are balancing out some of the cost increases, however the industry needs long term solutions to ensure sustainability.

AUDIO: Josh St. Peters – Illinois Beef Association