By Carah Hart

The chairman of the Missouri Rice Council says fertilizer has been his biggest expense this growing season.

“Urea was probably $300 to $350, a ton more expensive this year versus 2025,” says Rance Daniels, a farmer in southern Dunklin County.

He says it’s not just fertilizer, fuel prices have been high, too, and rice prices won’t offset that.

“The market is up a little, but not near the percentage that input costs have risen. Rice is selling for maybe a dollar more than last than last year, but the cost of inputs went up by more than that.”

Daniels says while increased reference prices in farm program payments this fall will help, Daniels is also following what happens with the $12 billion in farmer aid that Congress is considering.

“Everybody’s still digging out of the hole the 2025 crop left them in, but you know, if they could get something in the year fourth quarter or, you know, early 2027, it would be helpful.”

He says stronger markets for U.S. rice are a longer-term solution that’s being worked on in the Trump administration to address unfair trading practices with countries like India, and strengthen domestic demand.

Daniels recently hosted a roundtable with U.S. Congressman Jason Smith from Missouri to talk trade, farmer aid and rising input costs.

Published Date: August 3, 2026