The costs associated with being a farmer in Iowa rose by double-digits, percentage-wise, last year. A report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service shows $26.84 billion was spent in Iowa on agricultural production in 2012.
That marks an 11-percent increase over 2011. Only farmers in the state of California spent more last year, $31 billion, according to the report. In 2012, Iowa farmers dealt with the worst drought in five decades, which cut crop yields and hurt livestock production.
The biggest cost for Iowa farmers last year was feed, at $4.43 billion. Iowa is the nation’s top producer of corn, soybeans, and pork. Nationally, farmers spent a record $351.8 billion on ag production in 2012.