Iowa farmers face uncertainty as fertilizer prices surge amid Iran war, fear looming farm crisis
China’s export clampdown and the Iran war have pushed nitrogen fertilizer prices up 28%, leaving 70% of U.S. farmers unable to afford enough.
- Fertilizer prices jumped from around $400 to nearly $600 per ton early in the Iran War, with China, which supplies 10% of global exports, tightening curbs in April, pressuring U.S. farmers during planting season.
- The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 30% of global ammonia exports, exacerbates market consolidation; Mosaic alone controls 75% to 80% of phosphate production, leaving farmers vulnerable to supply shocks.
- Diesel costs rose 54.4% to $5.67 per gallon as of May 14, according to Brown University, while 86 American farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2026.
- The Trump administration suspended the Jones Act for 150 days to improve fertilizer logistics, though critics argue increased nitrogen production would serve 'industrial demands' rather than farmers' immediate needs.
- Experts warn high fertilizer prices may persist through at least 2027, while persistent drought conditions threaten yields and consumers in the United States could face price shocks in bread aisles later this year.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Bristol Herald Courier
Fertilizer prices pressure Trump-loyal farmers
WASHINGTON — Fertilizer costs have increased during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, putting pressure on American farmers who have been politically loyal to Donald Trump, as Democrats draw a direct connection between the president's actions and suffering farms.
Ottumwa Courier
Iran war makes declining farm economy worse, farmers say
Iowa farmers this growing season are changing practices as they feel the pressure of a declining farm economy. While they said farming pressures have been worsening for years, it’s especially acute now with double-digit increases of fertilizer prices due to…
Iowa farmers face uncertainty as fertilizer prices surge amid Iran war, fear looming farm crisis
DES MOINES, Iowa – The ongoing war with Iran is driving up more than just the cost of oil. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have restricted fertilizer supplies that farmers desperately need. As a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer, Steve Kuiper understands what it takes and what it costs to be a farmer. Managing his 4,000 acres, while also serving as the first vice president of the Iowa [...]
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