For ag retailers, getting a read on grower purchasing intentions has become an increasingly challenging part of doing business. Even when market conditions appear favorable, farmers aren’t necessarily rushing to make commitments on fertilizer and other crop inputs.
That was one of the major topics discussed during a recent episode of CropLife Retail Week, featuring Ben Hushon, a Certified Crop Advisor with Maryland-based The Mill. Hushon shared his perspective on the factors influencing grower decisions during the 2026 growing season and why retailers may need to adjust their approach as they prepare for 2027.
Here are four reasons why farmers are taking more time to make input decisions.
1. Commodity Prices and Farm Economics Are Creating Uncertainty
Despite a strong 2025 harvest, many growers entered 2026 cautiously. According to Hushon, farmers in The Mill’s market area had experienced very good yields, and local grain prices were generally supported by a favorable basis.
But those positive factors weren’t enough to prompt early purchasing decisions.
“The first word that jumps to my mind for 2026 coming into spring was paralysis,” Hushon explained.
He noted that farmers held onto many of their purchasing decisions until close to planting time. While a strong previous harvest provided some financial breathing room, growers were still concerned about grain prices and the overall economics of their operations.
For retailers, this hesitation made it more difficult to anticipate demand and determine how far ahead to get on product purchases.
2. Attractive Fertilizer Prices Aren’t Always Enough to Trigger Purchases
Another challenge for retailers is that even favorable fertilizer pricing doesn’t necessarily translate into immediate grower commitments.
Hushon pointed to potash as an example. In The Mill’s region, prices reached their lowest levels in approximately a decade. Traditionally, many growers in the area would take advantage of the fall and winter months to apply potash ahead of spring planting.
That didn’t happen in 2026.
“We had the lowest price in this region on potash we had had in 10 years,” Hushon said. “And folks still just were locked into that paralysis of making decisions.”
Phosphorus presented another challenge, with prices approaching $1,000 per ton in some cases. At those levels, some farmers looked for alternative nutrient sources, including poultry manure transported from Pennsylvania.
Sulfur purchasing also created challenges for retailers. Hushon acknowledged that The Mill misjudged demand for ammonium sulfate as prices reached record levels, resulting in significantly reduced purchases.
The takeaway for retailers is that price alone may not be enough to motivate growers. Understanding individual farm economics and maintaining regular communication with customers remain critical.
3. Precision Agriculture Is Giving Farmers More Flexibility
Technology is also changing the timing of agronomic decisions. With improved access to field-level data, nitrogen modeling, variable-rate fertilizer applications, and variable-rate seeding, growers have more tools available to help them make decisions closer to planting.
At The Mill, this shift has become an important part of its precision ag strategy.
Hushon said the company launched its Decision Ag Solutions program in 2021, moving his son from an agronomy position into a full-time role focused on helping farmers put their precision agriculture data to work.
“We just kept seeing over and over guys have yield maps in a three-ring binder,” Hushon said. “And they weren’t using that information to make decisions.”
The goal is to help growers move beyond simply collecting yield data and start using it to make field-specific and eventually subfield-specific agronomic decisions.
For retailers, that creates opportunities to become more involved in the decision-making process. It also means being prepared to respond when growers want to make adjustments closer to planting.
4. Weather and In-Season Conditions Can Change Grower Priorities
Even after initial purchasing decisions are made, weather and crop conditions can influence how growers approach the season.
Hushon pointed to July 2026 as an example. Dry conditions caused some farmers to reconsider fungicide applications on corn, believing the investment might not pay off.
But conditions and market opportunities changed as the season progressed.
“Suddenly, guys are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I probably should have done more of the acres, or I should have had that done,’” Hushon recalled.
The experience reinforced the importance of not allowing short-term negative conditions to dictate every management decision.
For ag retailers, helping growers evaluate changing conditions and understand application windows can be an important part of maintaining customer relationships and supporting better agronomic decisions.
Preparing for the Next Growing Season
As retailers look toward 2027, Hushon believes financing and inventory management will be particularly important. Farmers are looking for more financing options, while retailers must also ensure they have product available when customers are ready to buy.
“As an ag retailer, I believe you can’t sell what you don’t have,” Hushon said.
For retailers, understanding why growers are delaying decisions may be just as important as anticipating what those decisions will ultimately be.
Want to hear more from Ben Hushon? Watch the full episode of CropLife Retail Week for additional discussion about The Mill’s precision agriculture initiatives, the use of artificial intelligence to connect technology platforms, the outlook for the 2027 growing season, and strategies ag retailers can use to prepare for the year ahead.
