With fuel expenses continuing to stabilize, farmers can expect more predictable operating costs and potentially healthier bottom lines. That small relief could provide a bit of breathing room in 2025 crop budgets and help offset other rising inputs.

“Overall, it was an average to average-plus year,” says Terry Helms of Simplot Grower Solutions in Oakley. Helms has been an agronomist in south central Idaho since 1985 and deals with a range of crops including potatoes, sugarbeets, corn, dry beans and small grains.

Following the historical high prices of 2021 and 2022, fertilizer prices significantly declined in 2023 as supply chain disruptions eased. This trend largely continued into 2024. While prices have stabilized, they remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Efficiency is efficiency, right? Turns out, it’s probably not that simple. Efficiency in a feedlot and at the cow-calf level are two very different things.

Profitability maps can be helpful for determining the relative extent to which different areas in a field are profitable or not, which can provide insights regarding whether there are any actions that can be taken to increase profitability in lagging areas.

Is a $15 breakeven possible for a dairy farming business in 2024, given increases in input costs and inflation? Others may have their doubts, but I am a firm “yes.”

It’s uncertain what will happen in the next quarter or two, but we all want to see farms succeed. Dairy farms help feed the world, and by taking a closer look at your operations, expenses and the comfort of your cows, you can identify areas for improvement that will keep your business profitable.