Corn Farmers Face $0.85 Per Bushel Loss in 2025 Amid Stagnant Costs and Plummeting Prices

U.S. corn farmers are projected to face an average loss of $0.85 per bushel in 2025, a stark indicator of the severe financial pressures gripping the agricultural sector. This challenging outlook stems from a significant disparity between stubbornly high production costs and a dramatic decline in market prices over the past three years.

According to a recent social media post by Tren Griffin, "Average corn production costs have dropped just 3% from their peak in 2022 to 2025 while corn prices have declined by over 50% over the same period." This imbalance means that a farmer with average production costs receiving the expected average price is facing substantial unprofitability.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has voiced alarm over this economic crisis, noting that input costs remain near record highs despite the slight decrease. Even with higher yields, farmers are unlikely to offset these elevated costs, leading to continued and widening negative profit margins for the third consecutive year. The NCGA highlighted that the average cost to grow an acre of corn in 2025 is $897, only marginally lower than the 2022 peak of $928.

The steep drop in corn prices, which saw nearby futures contracts fall from over $8 per bushel in 2022 to well below $4 per bushel, is largely attributed to bumper crop harvests in the U.S. and significant yields from South America. This oversupply has saturated the market, driving prices down despite a recent modest rebound in early 2025 due to less corn carryover and increased exports. As of September 2, 2025, corn prices were around $4.01 per bushel.

The financial strain is evident in rising Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings among farmers, with 181 filings in the first half of 2025, significantly up from the previous year. This trend underscores the unsustainability of current market conditions for many corn producers. The NCGA continues to advocate for solutions, including increased demand for corn through higher ethanol blends and improved foreign market access, to alleviate the economic hardships faced by farmers.