Tag Archives: farm input costs

Late Frost and Rising Costs Put Pike County Peach Crop on Shorter Season

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Concord, GA |

At Gregg Farms in Pike County, this year’s peach crop is shaping up to look a little different. A warmer-than-normal winter followed by a late frost has left producers adjusting expectations, with a shorter crop translating into a shorter season for customers.

“This year is going to be a little shorter. It got warm earlier, and we had a late frost about a week before Easter — and since all the peaches were bloomed, it got a lot of them,” said Stuart Gregg of Gregg Farms. “We’ll still have a crop this year. It’ll just be a little bit shorter. We might not be open every day or have you-pick every day, but we’ll have something throughout the summer. It just won’t be like other seasons when you have a bumper crop.”

NOT ALL VARIETIES WERE HIT

While the late frost caused significant damage, Gregg says the timing spared some later-blooming varieties, softening what could have been a total loss for certain parts of the orchard.

“I’d say about fifty percent of the peaches got damaged. A lot of the early peaches are at a loss, but the others just kind of got thinned out — so we’re not having to do as much thinning this year due to that frost,” Gregg said. “We’ll just be a little bit later opening, because most of the early peaches were in full bloom while some of the others weren’t all the way bloomed yet.”

COLD WEATHER: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

According to Gregg, timing is everything when it comes to cold weather and peach trees. The trees require a certain number of chill hours while dormant — but once they bloom, even a brief freeze can quickly turn a promising crop into a challenging season.

“Cold weather is good and bad for peach trees. After the trees go dormant, they have to have over a thousand chill hours — anything below forty degrees,” Gregg explained. “This year was a little different because it was a warmer winter, so we didn’t get our chill hours until way later. Since we were still able to get them, it really didn’t affect the trees. But then it finally got warm, everything started blooming, and we had that late frost. Once the peaches are open, they’re real susceptible to cold — and that’s what happened.”

DROUGHT A CONCERN, BUT NOT YET CRITICAL

Beyond the frost, dry conditions across the state have added another layer of uncertainty for peach growers. For now, Gregg says their trees haven’t been significantly impacted — but he’s watching the forecast closely.

“It’s still early. The peaches are still growing, and there’s still a little bit of water in the ground. We just had a rain, so that’s really helped,” Gregg said. “But if we were to keep getting this drought, it would just be a bad year overall — peaches wouldn’t be that big. We don’t have irrigation on the peaches. We irrigate our flowers and our blueberries, but the peaches are just at the mercy of Mother Nature, like with the frost.”

RISING COSTS ADD TO THE PRESSURE

As if weather challenges weren’t enough, rising input costs are adding financial stress to an already difficult start to the season. Fuel, fertilizer, and other operating expenses have climbed sharply in recent months, squeezing margins for producers like Gregg.

“Everything costs more — fuel, fertilizer, all inputs have just increased the cost of everything,” Gregg said. “It’s going to affect the end consumer just like it affects us. Everything’s more expensive. It takes more to get things done, and you can’t skip out on stuff just because it’s a little more expensive. It’s just making it tougher and making you stretch the dollar a little bit further, trying to get everything ready for everyone to come out.”

Despite the challenges, Gregg Farms is pressing forward — and Georgia peach fans can still look forward to a season, even if it looks a little different than years past.

By: John Holcomb

Early Drought Puts Georgia Farmers in Uncharted Territory

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Madison, GA |

All across the state, dry conditions are raising concerns for farmers and producers. A lack of rainfall and expanding drought are already impacting planting decisions and crop outlooks heading into the season.

For producers like Lee Nunn, the biggest concern isn’t the drought itself — it’s how early it arrived this season.

“In droughts in previous years, none of those years that I can remember off the top of my head could we not get a crop in. We had a drought during the crop year. This year is extremely different to me — being this dry, this early. I’ve never seen it in my years of farming to be stressed about getting the crop in the ground,” said Nunn.

While drought is nothing new for Georgia growers, Nunn says even typically reliable crops are showing signs of stress. His wheat crop — one that has rarely struggled for moisture in a quarter century — is now a cause for concern.

“We’ve never really had a problem in the last twenty-five years of growing wheat of ever having a lack of moisture on a wheat crop. I look back at some rainfall data, and we’re at about fifty percent moisture since the first of last September. We’re down about fifteen inches short in that time frame,” Nunn said.

EQUIPMENT AND COSTS

The lack of moisture isn’t just impacting crop development. Nunn says the soil has become so dry and hardened that his equipment is taking a serious toll, making planting more difficult and costly than usual.

“With the lack of moisture, that subsoil machine almost just can’t go in the ground. It is so hard. The red clay we have in this part of the state comes up like bricks and chunks — super hard and very abrasive,” Nunn said. “I would say we get at least half the life of our tips and our wear points on equipment compared to what we’d get with moisture. And honestly, that’s just an expense we can’t afford to take right now.”

Those added expenses come at a time when farmers are already struggling with high input and operating costs, putting even more pressure on producers heading into planting season.

“With the input costs we have right now at all-time highs — diesel fuel, fertilizer, equipment, equipment parts — just everything is at all-time highs,” Nunn said. “Commodity prices have crept up a little bit lately, and I’m thankful for that. But we’ve got to have a crop to sell this fall. Without adequate soil moisture, we can’t till the crop in, and we can’t plant the crop. If there’s no moisture there, there’s no need planting it.”

WINDOW IS CLOSING

According to Nunn, time and conditions will play a critical role in determining the rest of the season. If things don’t change, there’s a real chance this year’s crop won’t go in the ground at all.

“We have a pretty long window with cotton — at least another month to plant, up until about the first of June in this part of the state,” Nunn said. “We don’t like to plant much past the first week of June, so we do have some time. But the longer you wait, the less yield you have, and the more problems you have with the cotton crop.”

“That’s not to say you can’t make a crop,” he added. “But the chances are a lot less that you’ll make a perfect crop — and we almost need a perfect crop for these type of situations with inputs and pricing.”

As the season progresses, Georgia producers like Nunn will be watching the forecast closely, hoping for the rain that could mean the difference between a challenging year and no crop at all.

By: John Holcomb

Fertilizer Prices Surge as Georgia Row Crop Growers Begin Planting Season

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Tifton, GA |

As planting season gets underway for Georgia’s staple row crops, growers are firing up their fertilization schedules — and facing a costly start to the season. Fertilizer prices have jumped more than twenty percent across the board, with one key nutrient being hit especially hard.

“One of the biggest challenges we have right now is that a lot of fertilizers, especially nitrogen-based fertilizers, come from the Middle East. Because we have the Strait of Hormuz closed, it’s becoming a challenge for growers because not a lot of fertilizers are getting here to the U.S. — and that’s causing prices to surge,” said Doug Amarel, an agronomist with the University of Georgia Extension.

That surge includes a fifty percent jump in nitrogen prices alone, putting cotton growers in a particularly difficult position heading into the season.

A DELICATE BALANCING ACT

“Nitrogen is one of the most important fertilizers, especially if you’re doing cotton. It can account for up to fifteen to twenty percent of production costs, so growers need to find ways to cut costs,” Amarel said. “In years like this, when you have high fertilizer prices, you need to adjust. You need to manage the ways to stay profitable — whether that’s cutting back on some fertilizers, managing different crops, different rotations, or different practices in the field.”

But cutting back too aggressively carries its own risks. Amarel says fertilizer management is one of the most consequential decisions a grower can make.

“The three most important things about growing crops are genetics, the environment — something we cannot control — and management,” he said. “And management, eighty to ninety percent of it, is about nutrient management or fertilizer management in the field. If you apply too much nitrogen and not enough potassium, or too much phosphorus without the right micronutrients, you are hurting your crop. You still need to apply enough to be profitable and to produce your crop.”

START WITH A SOIL TEST

With margins already tight, Amarel says getting the most out of every application will be critical — and that starts well before the first pass across the field.

“The most important thing I’ve been telling growers: soil test. That’s the foundation,” Amarel said. “If you don’t know what’s in your soil, there is no way to manage your fertilizers properly. You don’t know how much nitrogen, potassium, or phosphorus you need to apply. A soil test is the foundation of any nutrient management plan right now.”

DROUGHT ADDS ANOTHER LAYER

All of that planning, however, will ultimately depend on whether the historically dry conditions gripping much of the state finally come to an end. Without adequate moisture, even a well-executed fertilizer plan can fall short.

“It creates another problem, especially for growers doing dryland crops,” Amarel said. “We still need water for the crop to uptake nutrients. If there is no water, the crop cannot uptake nutrients. So you may want to go slower at the beginning of the season and adjust as you go — splitting your applications to improve nutrient use efficiency.”

For Georgia’s row crop producers, the 2026 growing season is shaping up to be a test of both patience and precision — with every input decision carrying more weight than usual.

By: Damon Jones

Georgia Corn Comeback? Farmers Prepare for 2025 Amid Rising Costs & Drought Challenges

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Tifton, GA |

After seeing a significant drop in acres of corn being planted in Georgia last year, those numbers look to be on the rebound in 2025, especially with the issues other crops around the state are experiencing.

“I think that given some of the constraints with some of the other commodities, that we’re probably going to see an increase in corn acreage this year. I have a prediction but we’ll see if it comes to fruition this year, but I think there’s going to be a significant increase with the crop,” says Nicholas Shay, Extension Grains Agronomist.

Despite seeing prices surge by more than thirty percent over the past six months, growers must still walk a fine line in order to turn a profit, especially with the ever-increasing cost of production.

“To navigate that, we have to try to really manage our input efficiency the best we can, and really go back to the drawing board and count our pennies to make sure that we’re being as efficient as possible with our agronomic management or crop management plan in that, for the season,” says Shay.

Another major issue for growers is the long periods of dry weather throughout the state each and every year. It’s a factor that should always be accounted for when planning crop management.

“I think we can bet that every single year, there has been some sort of level of intermittent drought that has occurred. And so, I think really staying on top of your nutrient management and understanding how a crop responds to drought or to a treatment or a fertilizer application that you’re going to apply in the growing season,” says Shay.

The biggest defense against drought conditions is to implement preventative strategies as soon as possible.

“We have to prepare that crop for those stressful environments instead of reacting to a common symptom entomology we may see in the field. If we’d be proactive and have a proactive mitigation strategy, then maybe we can alleviate some of that stress in the growing season, especially when it comes to drought,” says Shay.

With that in mind, it’s never too early to start preparing, especially with planting season right around the corner.

“Growers should obviously be focusing on making sure their equipment is ready, land preparation this time of year, making sure that they have a good plan in place to start the year as far as fertility, as far as weed management, preparing that ground. Then making sure that they have that plan A, plan B in place to be proactive in their approach to mitigate those midseason or early season stresses that we can almost expect are going to occur,” says Shay.

By: Damon Jones

Farm Bureau Urges Swift Action on 2025 Farm Bill and Tax Policy

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Washington, D.C. |

In testimony before Congress, Farm Bureau President, Zippy Duvall pressed for urgent action on a modernized five-year farm bill, tax policy, and agricultural workforce challenges. Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar were thanked for their commitment to farmers, but the message was clear: delays in policy updates are threatening American agriculture.

Farm Bill Priorities
Duvall emphasized the need for increased funding, unified nutrition and farm programs, and strengthened risk management tools. “Farmers are facing mounting losses,” he testified. “With net farm income down $41 billion since 2022 and crop prices plummeting, the need for a stronger safety net has never been greater.” Rising input costs and economic uncertainty highlight the need for enhanced Title I safety net provisions.

Tax and Workforce Challenges
The looming expiration of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions could impose the largest tax hike in U.S. history on farm businesses. “Failing to extend these tax provisions will take billions out of farmers’ pockets at a time when they have no dollars to spare,” the testimony warned. Additionally, the lack of a sustainable agricultural workforce solution remains a major concern, forcing many farms to shut down. “The costs are too high, and the labor force is too small,” says Duvall. “If we don’t act now, we risk losing family farms at an unprecedented rate.”

Trade and Crop Protection
Farmers struggle with supply chain disruptions, high production costs, and regulatory uncertainty over crop protection tools. “Ongoing inflation, supply issues, and inconsistent regulations are creating a perfect storm for farmers and ranchers,” Duvall explained. Meanwhile, U.S. agriculture saw a $32 billion trade deficit in 2024, contrasting with past trade surpluses. “Our ability to compete globally is being hindered by trade barriers and lack of market access.” Expanded market access and reduced trade barriers are needed to restore competitiveness.

Call to Action
Duvall urged Congress to act swiftly on these issues, emphasizing the urgency of protecting farmers’ livelihoods and sustaining rural communities. “American agriculture is at a crossroads,” Duvall concluded. “Without decisive action, our food security, economy, and rural way of life are at risk.”

You can watch the hearing, here.