As the 2022 planting season commences, the Spokesman visited with Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson about the challenges farmers are facing with sharply higher input costs, supply chain challenges and how they’re using technology to be more efficient and sustainable. Here are excerpts of that conversation:

Q: How is inflation affecting farmers going into this planting season, especially in regard to fertilizer and input costs? 

A: That’s a massive concern right now. We’ve had the opportunity to sell $8 corn, but how does that actually translate into profitability when inputs are so much higher? A lot of our costs are three or four times higher than a year ago. With the current opportunities to market at higher prices, I think we have the potential for a very good year ahead of us, but the challenges will hit in 2023 and 2024. Are we going to be able to access our needs for supplies, chemistry and fertilizers? Is the market structure going to hold...