Some input costs have softened for farmers across the Corn Belt this spring.

Zach Townsend farms in the southeastern corner of Kansas. “Fertilizer has fallen here over the last couple of months,” he said. “That’s helped our bottom line.”

Ray Gaesser raises corn, soybeans, and cereal rye in southwest Iowa. “I think our herbicide costs are fairly close to last year but are down a little bit.”

But Gaesser tells Brownfield diesel prices remain elevated.

…