The continuing U.S.-Iran conflict is driving up global oil prices and roiling supply chains, sending fertilizer costs soaring. According to an Agence France-Presse report on April 13, farmers and ranchers across rural America are being forced to purchase overpriced fertilizers during the critical planting season, piling immense pressure on them. The skyrocketing costs are clearly hitting President Trump’s core voter base in rural areas.
North Carolina, a major agricultural state in the U.S., has been hit hard. Corey Huber, 47, a local farmer, complained that prices for nitrogen fertilizers he uses have jumped by at least 40% since the conflict erupted, with urea prices surging by 50%. To control costs, Huber has cut his fertilizer use by a third, a decision he fears will hurt crop yields. "We’ve been hit at the worst possible time—forced to buy when prices are skyrocketing and supplies are disrupted. I placed orders for several batches of liquid nitrogen fertilizer a few weeks ago, but suppliers now say they have no idea when they’ll be delivered," he said.
No Storage Space for Stockpiling
Fellow North Carolina farmer Hedley, who farms 1,000 acres, lamented that 75% of his fertilizer purchases were made after the price hikes. Like most U.S. farmers, he explained, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to stock up in advance—he simply lacked the storage space to do so. Hedley is now using the bare minimum of fertilizer, planning to adjust applications later based on crop growth. He noted that U.S. fertilizer prices were already rising before the conflict began, forcing farmers to count every penny.
Austin, 55, recalled immediately calling his fertilizer supplier upon hearing news of the Strait of Hormuz blockade. "Thankfully, I managed to secure three batches of nitrogen fertilizer at pre-conflict prices—at least that’ll keep my wheat growing properly," he said. Farmers usually anticipate fertilizer shortages, he added, "but this conflict erupted out of the blue, and we were caught completely off guard."
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Rollins previously stated that 80% of American farmers had purchased their spring planting fertilizers before the conflict began. But Austin called the remark "simply ironic," saying it felt like a punch to the gut. Most U.S. farmers lack both the funds and storage space to buy fertilizer in advance, he emphasized.
