(KERO) — Production costs are up nationwide and farmers are feeling the pinch.
The American Farm Bureau Federation is warning that those rising costs are making it hard for some farms to even break even. The major issues facing farmers when it comes to rising prices are supplies, labor, and fertilizer.
Ginny McGlasson who owns McGlasson Farms Says that the cost of the supplies needed to keep the business running has gone up 30 percent in the last year. As a result, she says her farm now has to raise its own prices too.
While the White House has announced more support for farmers, including funding for domestic fertilizer production it might not be enough to offset production costs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting that the cost of food will go up by at least 6 and a half percent this year.
Meanwhile, dairy farmers are facing their own complications this year. But it's less to do with production. Instead, it's the rising temperatures affecting most of the southwest.
Dairy farmers say that keeping cattle healthy and eating enough to produce milk is extremely difficult during times of high heat. In some cases, dairy cows will produce about 10 fewer pounds of milk each day when temperatures start to soar.
And while one way to keep the cattle comfortable can be to use fans and sprinklers state water restrictions and the cost of electricity make it a costly option.
