AFBF: Farmers Trying To Overcome Issues Out Of Their Control

Fuel and food inflation continue to challenge consumers and producers, and farm interests say some of that is within the government's control, while some aren't. Inflation is the highest in more than 30 years, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the problem's no longer "transitory" and could worsen with the new COVID variant—Omicron.

American Farm Bureau Economist Veronica Nigh said producers and consumers are dealing with a lot of factors outside their control.

“Trucking rates, trucking availability, you look at increased wage rates and short supply-lines, where folks are having to wait for a long amount of time to fulfill orders—all of that adds up.”

So, food is not getting any cheaper.

“92% or so, of what we’re spending at the grocery store on food is related to costs outside of farm production,” Nigh continued. She added fuel prices, which are at a seven-year high, are also pushing farm costs higher.

That is something Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper argues the government can address.

"But the EPA is again delaying annual biofuel blending requirements, leaving oil refiners and ethanol, and corn and soybean producers, with continued market and price uncertainty."

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