68% Premium: U.S. Corn Seed Costs Outpace Brazil's

American corn growers face a steep price hike at the start of each season. From 2023 to 2025, U.S. farmers paid an average of 68% more for corn seed than their Brazilian counterparts. This cost disparity directly impacts the profit margins for millions of American producers who operate on thin returns.

The National Corn Growers Association released the data on November 2, 2026. The study was conducted by Kynetec and covers key production inputs including seed, fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. The analysis compares prices in U.S. dollars per pound or per liter, adjusting for currency effects using purchasing power parity.

The price gap is not limited to a single company or product line. Major seed brands show sizable U.S. premiums. Even when comparing widely used trait packages, the difference remains substantial. U.S. prices were 63% higher than Brazilian summer corn seed and 74% higher than winter corn seed. Soybean seed followed a similar trend, with U.S. prices averaging 24% higher than those in Brazil.

Crop protection chemicals show even wider divergences. Fungicide prices in the United States are often more than double Brazilian levels. This reflects market structure differences, as top global manufacturers hold roughly three-quarters of the U.S. fungicide market compared to less than half in Brazil. U.S. growers also favor higher-cost, multi-molecule formulations, while Brazilian farmers rely more on lower-cost treatments.

Herbicide costs also favor Brazil. Many comparisons show U.S. prices near double those in Brazil. Glyphosate, a commoditized ingredient used in both markets, cost U.S. growers about 35% more in 2025. Insecticide gaps varied by crop, with U.S. corn insecticide prices averaging 87% higher than Brazilian prices. Soybean insecticide costs were 31% higher in the United States.

Matt Frostic, NCGA president, stated that the findings confirm long-held fears about paying substantially more for inputs. He described the situation as price gouging that is worse than many farmers suspected. Frostic noted that corn farmers are on track to lose money for a fourth consecutive year.

Krista Swanson, NCGA chief economist, said rising input costs are putting intense pressure on the farm economy. She argued that focusing only on corn prices misses the side of the equation involving the cost to put a crop in the ground. These costs have climbed to levels she described as unsustainable.

The NCGA is calling for increased transparency from input providers. The group is also pursuing legislative reform to the countervailing duty process to consider public interests. Recent petitions by Mosaic, J.R. Simplot, Corteva Agriscience, and Bayer have added duties to imported phosphate, 2,4-D, and glyphosate supplies.