NCGA-ASA farmer survey: 90% of growers as or more worried about finances as fertilizer costs bite
Rallying corn and soybean prices have not eased financial stress on U.S. farms, according to a new NCGA-ASA farmer survey released on September 22. Nine in ten growers, or 90%, said they are more or equally concerned about their farm finances than a year ago, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and American Soybean Association (ASA) reported.
Farm Journal polled more than 1,200 corn and soybean growers between September 1 and 8. Some 46% said they were more concerned about their finances than a year ago, down from 65% in last year’s survey, DTN reported. Two-thirds, 66%, were moderately or very concerned about the farm economy, and 26% were unsure how they would handle higher projected input costs for the 2027 crop.
Profit expectations are thin. Only 41% of corn respondents expect the crop to be at least marginally profitable, and 10% expect clear profitability. Fuel and energy ranked as the top input concern, with fertilizer averaging above 4 on a five-point scale. When the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz lifted fertilizer prices, 35% of growers had already locked in production decisions, NCGA said.
NCGA Chief Economist Krista Swanson told AgWeb that the 90% figure was “a really staggering statistic” given that farm-crisis warnings were already circulating a year ago. She said that stronger corn prices lift sentiment, but profitability does not reset with one market move.
The findings echo AFBF and CoBank warnings that high fertilizer prices are structural and the concerns raised when 170 farmers confronted USDA over fertilizer pricing in Iowa. The White House is exploring alternative supply, including a potash deal with Belarus that President Trump announced on September 21.
Source: AgWeb
What the NCGA-ASA farmer survey shows
Farm Journal conducted the poll for the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association. It covered more than 1,200 corn and soybean growers surveyed between September 1 and 8, 2026, and the two groups published their report on September 22.
The picture is mixed. Some 90% of growers are as or more concerned about their finances than a year ago, but the share saying they are more concerned fell to 46% from 65% in the 2025 survey. The groups attribute the improvement to the grain rally during the survey window rather than to an end of financial strain.
Fuel and energy ranked as the top input worry. Fertilizer also scored high, averaging above 4 on a five-point concern scale where 5 means very concerned.
About 26% of growers do not yet know how they will absorb higher 2027 input costs. Growers have responded in different ways, from buying inputs before the spring price spike to reducing nutrient rates or shifting acres, so retailers may see more cautious and later buying.
Only 41% of corn respondents expect at least marginal profitability, and just 10% expect clear profitability, leaving little room to absorb further cost increases.
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