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Yield efficiency key to profitability

An ag economist with the University of Missouri says a key to profitability in 2025 for many row crop farmers will be protecting yield.

Ben Brown says depressed prices and elevated costs make every bushel matter.

“Generally speaking, you know farm income is going to take a sizable hit in 2026.”  He says, “Certainly it’s going to require people to probably look at cutting costs. I would argue about continuing to find efficiencies in the fixed cost category. Look for ways to minimize that yield variability on the output side.”

Brown told growers at a recent BASF Research Farm Field Day, “Be disciplined during the good years, and be committed during the bad years,” he says.

He says that includes investing in proven strategies to protect the crop.

“The difference I think this year is producers are listening, and they have questions that they might not be asking, but they’re certainly thinking how can I improve my bottom dollar and shrink that variability in the yield,” he says.

Brown says re-evaluating crop budgets throughout the growing season can also help farmers make better educated decisions when calculating costs.