Farmers Voice Frustrations Over High Costs at Commodity Classic

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins addresses challenges of surging input prices and outdated farm policy.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Farmers attending the recent Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas expressed growing frustrations over high input costs, trade uncertainty, and surging grain production. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins acknowledged the challenges, noting that between 2020 and 2024, fuel costs increased 33%, seed costs were up 19%, fertilizer prices rose 48%, labor was up 44%, and interest expenses climbed 71%. Jed Bower, president of the National Corn Growers Association, said the outdated farm policy information they're working with doesn't reflect the current realities farmers face.

Why it matters

The Commodity Classic is a major annual gathering of American farmers, and the open airing of their grievances over skyrocketing production costs and outdated government policies highlights the growing pressures facing the agricultural sector. These challenges could impact food prices, farm incomes, and the overall health of rural economies.

The details

During the opening day of the Commodity Classic, there were reportedly some angry conversations between farm leaders and representatives of major seed, fertilizer, machinery, and chemical companies. Farmers are struggling to keep up with the rapid rise in input costs, which is squeezing their profit margins at a time of high grain production and trade uncertainty.

  • The Commodity Classic took place in San Antonio, Texas in March 2026.
  • Between 2020 and 2024, fuel costs increased 33%, seed costs were up 19%, fertilizer prices rose 48%, labor was up 44%, and interest expenses climbed 71%.

The players

Brooke Rollins

The United States Secretary of Agriculture who spoke at the Commodity Classic.

Jed Bower

The president of the National Corn Growers Association who criticized the outdated farm policy information farmers are working with.

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What they’re saying

“We're seven years out from the last farm bill and all of this information we're trying to work with is so outdated. Our costs are so different that we have to get something done. It's like they've forgotten about rural America.”

— Jed Bower, President, National Corn Growers Association (AgWeb)

“Between 2020 and 2024, fuel costs increased 33 percent, seed costs were up 19 percent, fertilizer prices rose by 48 percent, labor was up 44 percent, and interest expenses were up 71 percent.”

— Brooke Rollins, United States Secretary of Agriculture (NAFB.com)

What’s next

The Biden administration has indicated that updating the farm bill will be a priority in the coming year, in order to provide more timely and relevant support to farmers facing these cost pressures.

The takeaway

The frustrations voiced by farmers at the Commodity Classic underscore the urgent need for the federal government to update agricultural policies and programs to better reflect the current economic realities facing the farming sector. Failure to do so could further strain farm incomes and jeopardize the long-term viability of many family-owned operations.