Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, my name is Eddie Melton. I am a fifth-generation row crop and beef cattle farmer from Webster County, Kentucky, and I currently serve as president of Kentucky Farm Bureau. It is an honor to be with you today to speak on behalf of the farmers of Kentucky, as well as the more than 470,000 Kentucky Farm Bureau member families.
My family has been farming in Webster County since 1900 when my great-great-grandfather purchased our farm. I graduated from Murray State University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in agriculture. During my college years, I had to take a break from my studies to help run our farm when my father’s health began to decline. In 1990, the entire operation became my responsibility.
During my lifetime, I have helped bring in more than 50 years of crops. We typically raise corn, soybeans, canola, wheat, and beef cattle. This year, due to fertilizer prices, we made the decision not to plant wheat and canola. This is the kind of decision farmers across the country have had to make this crop year.
This hearing comes at a critical time as we assess the current state of the farm economy and the ongoing challenges facing American agriculture. Against this backdrop, I want to focus on one of the most pressing and persistent issues confronting producers: the sustained rise in fertilizer and input costs, and the broader financial strain it is placing on the agricultural sector.
A Crisis Years in the Making
One point that must be clearly understood is that today’s fertilizer price challenges did not begin with the recent conflict in Iran. While global tensions often draw attention to input markets, prices for inputs like fertilizer and fuel have been elevated for several years. USDA forecasts that production expenses will reach a record $478 billion in 2026, and that was before the surge in fuel and fertilizer prices.[1] The current situation is not a temporary disruption, it is the continuation of a longer trend that has steadily increased the cost of doing business in agriculture.
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