Crop specialist Michael Plumblee offered sound advice to farmers facing another challenging year in 2025: Focus on the fundamentals.

“As we move into 2025, our budgets are extremely tight, especially when we factor in our fixed costs. Inputs are still high. It’s going to be challenging,” said Plumblee, a corn and soybean specialist at Clemson University Extension. He spoke at the South Carolina Corn and Soybean Growers meeting Dec. 17 at the Santee Conference Center in Santee.

“Let’s do what we know works. We want to make sure we are capturing our low-hanging fruit,” as well as minimizing risks and setting realistic goals, he said. “Make sure we are fertilizing for our realistic yield goal. Avoid some of these automatic sprays that we’re not 100% sure that we are actually picking up yield on or not.” 

Also at the meeting, Plumblee’s colleague at Clemson, ag economist Scott Mickey, said 2025 will be a year where farmers will need to look at their production plan from a field-by-field, subset-by-subset basis.

“Everybody is entering 2025 with a different risk position,” Mickey said. “Depending how 2024 went for your operation, you’re setting up for 2025 differently. What if we have tariffs and how will that impact the prices we are looking at? Fertilize for your yield expectations. We are going to have to do things to manage costs as we go through the year.”

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In challenging crop years, astute management is needed most. Farmers will be monitoring each expense closely: avoid unnecessary sprays; fertilize for yield goal, applying only nutrients the crop needs; look for deals on seed, but don’t buy cheapest one that can’t promise yield; and seek ways to save money but spend what is needed to make yield.

Watching the markets and looking for pricing opportunities will be fundamental this year. Mickey said to follow the “seasonality principle” — crop prices tend to be higher at planting and lower at harvest. 

Monitoring the South American corn and soybean market also will be critical. A good crop there will only further weaken commodity prices.

It’s all a matter of supply and demand.

If there is a ray of hope, it’s that these difficult times help farmers hone their management skills. It won’t be easy, but today’s farmers prove their management expertise as they navigate tough times. All of us can learn from their tenacity.