Hay bales on pasture at sunsetFarmers could be soon seeing shortages of inputs made of plastic — things like baler twine, net wrap and silage bags — and that material available could be considerably more expensive than normal this year. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down operations at many manufacturers, chemical plants were included, and the shortage that shutdown created is finally reaching the end-user. That means products made from plastic resin will be in short supply in the coming months. Forage, beef and dairy producers are the most likely ones to see the impacts of the logjam given their reliance on products derived from plastic resin. While in the case of baler twine and bale wrap, there are no real viable product alternatives, the dairy sector is already examining other packaging options. See more on the ag plastic situation.