High Input Cost Continues to Be Biggest Concern

High Input Cost Continues to Be Biggest Concern

Author: The Cattle Business Weekly newspaper June 10, 2026 Duration: 1:01
In May, the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer (AEB) Index survey asked farmers to identify the main factor limiting improvement in their farm’s financial situation. High input costs were by far the most frequently cited constraint, selected by 46% of respondents. Weather risk ranked second at 19%, followed by low output prices at 14%, labor and equipment concerns at 9%, and debt or financial pressure at 5% (see chart). Only 14% of respondents indicated that their farm operation...

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Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

The Cattle Business Weekly
Podcast Episodes
Aug. 24: U.S. to Begin Accepting Mexican Cattle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:51
Codi Vallery-Mills Cattle Business Weekly The USDA Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service announced it will begin to accept live cattle imports from Mexico through its Douglas, Arizona, port on Aug. 24. The news came…
Seasonal Bottom on Carcass Weights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:14
Fed cattle carcass weights appear to have bottomed seasonally and are beginning to move higher, according to the CattleFax Closing Bell update released July 17. Weekly USDA slaughter data showed steer carcass weights inc…
Cattle Finishing Breakeven Prices and Net Returns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:18
A new report from Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture examines the economics of cattle finishing, finding that despite historically strong fed cattle prices, profitability is being squeezed by expensive…
Cattle Finishing Breakeven Prices and Net Returns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:18
A new report from Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture examines the economics of cattle finishing, finding that despite historically strong fed cattle prices, profitability is being squeezed by expensive…
What's Reshaping America's Agricultural Land Base? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:45
Farmland pressure is often discussed as a national acreage-loss problem, but for farmers and ranchers the more immediate challenge is land access. Land can remain technically “agricultural” while becoming harder to rent,…
What's Reshaping America's Agricultural Land Base? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:45
Farmland pressure is often discussed as a national acreage-loss problem, but for farmers and ranchers the more immediate challenge is land access. Land can remain technically “agricultural” while becoming harder to rent,…
Strategic Cowherd Destocking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:06
For many cow-calf operations in the region, significant culling may be required to match cow numbers to the forage available, not only for 2026, but also for the next few years. For operations that have spent generations…
How Big Will Cattle Get This Year? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:37
Through the first half of the year, year -to- date cattle slaughter is 8.7% lower than last year, and placements have been higher this year compared to last year. These two stats provide information about current and fut…