Marketing will be a much more important — and difficult — task for corn and soybean farmers next year as prices level off at or below the cost of production, Iowa State University (ISU) crop markets specialist Chad Hart said last week at the Iowa Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in Des Moines.

"The past three years, when you rolled out of bed, you saw a good price," said Hart. "Our markets are much more of a challenge now. We’re going to have to work a little harder, and we’re going to have to pay a little more attention."

Cash corn prices are about 20 cents below ISU’s estimated cost of production for this year, and Hart doesn’t see much upside barring unforeseen production...