Farmers could be facing increased fertilizer – and other input – costs this spring.
North Dakota Farmers Union president Mark Watne said that’s due to a number of factors.
"Obviously, COVID drove some issues with logistics," Watne said in an interview. "You have a lot of pressures around the world, from a potential war, to where and how we're going to start trading again. And that's driving the price."
Watne said the cost of fertilizer, for example, is substantially higher that it would have to be.
"If you look at the primary input, it's natural gas," Watne said.
Watne said this comes as crop prices are high. But he said that's tempered by the higher input costs.
"Because we're at high prices for soybeans, corn and wheat, it probably still works out," Watne said. But that's assuming you get those prices later on."
And Watne said while some parts of the state did receive some welcome moisture, it's still a relatively dry year for most of the state.
"Farmers have to be concerned about what production levels they might get with the current moisture we have," Watne said.
Watne said it would also help to have more domestic manufacturers of fertilizer, and to reduce dependence on other countries.
