Nebraska Farm Bureau Newswire

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked repercussions in global corn, wheat, fuel, and fertilizer markets. Nebraska Farm Bureau president Mark McHargue and senior economist Jay Rempe talk about what the conflict means for Nebraska agriculture.

Where have the workers gone? This question has been repeatedly posed in recent months. The question concerns the current shortage of workers and the number of jobs going unfilled. Presumably, people filled the jobs pre-COVID. Nebraska Farm Bureau senior economist Jay Rempe explains the driving forces behind labor shortages and how agriculture is impacted.

Supply chain problems and higher input costs are going to continue into 2022. Record fertilizer prices, high fuel prices, and tight supplies of chemicals like glyphosate are just a preview of what producers can expect, but a new report suggests positive margins are still possible. Nebraska Farm Bureau’s senior economist Jay Rempe says understanding this riskier environment, the impacts of higher costs, and the opportunities for protection is important when making decisions for next year.

Nebraska Farm Bureau expressed appreciation for the hard work of the Redistricting Committee, the governor and all 49 senators who came together to come up with the new redistricting maps during the Special Session. Nebraska Farm Bureau asked the Legislature to recognize the importance of maintaining rural voices in the effort, given the vital role agriculture and rural Nebraska play in our state. While not perfect, Nebraska Farm Bureau feels the results of the Legislature’s efforts largely respected its ask. The six redrawn maps based on the 2020 census data covers Congress, Legislature, Judiciary, and Supreme Court, Board of Education, NU Board of Regents, and the Public Service Commission. In this week’s episode, we highlight key changes in the maps.

The unrelenting increases in the price of fertilizers are on many farmers’ minds, with some farmers reporting a threefold cost increase. I saw down with Nebraska Farm Bureau’s senior economist Jay Rempe to talk about what is driving the high cost of fertilizer and what producers can expect in 2022.