Recent USDA data highlights a growing imbalance producers are feeling every day in the field.
By October 2025, the Prices Paid Index climbed to 154.6, while the Prices Received Index fell to 120.5. Put simply:
• It now costs producers ~50% more to grow crops than it did in 2011
• Yet commodity prices are only ~21% higher over that same period
That 34-point spread is the widest gap we’ve seen in at least a decade.
This isn’t about short-term market volatility, it reflects deeper structural pressures: rising input costs, tighter margins, and increasing capital risk for producers and landowners alike.
📉 How are you seeing this margin compression show up in your operation or portfolio?
💬 What questions should the ag industry be asking right now?
Cattle numbers in the PNW are moving differently than the national trend. 📈 USDA’s April Cattle on Feed report showed national feedlot inventory down year-over-year. But in the Northwest: • Idaho: 355,000 head, up from March and last year • Washington: 270,000 head, up from last year Why it matters: • Prices remain elevated •… PNW Cattle Trends
Meet the founders behind Root Ag Advisory: Skye and Becca Root They built Root Ag Advisory with a clear purpose: to help farmers, landowners, and investors make confident decisions about land, water, and agriculture. 🤝 Skye brings experience in farmland investment, water rights, ag finance, and farm real estate, backed by hands-on work in a… Meet the Founders: Skye & Becca Root
Root Agricultural Advisory
2670 S. Eagle Rd. Meridian ID 83642
(208) 753-2333 info@rootagadvisory.com
