INPUTS
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says a multi-agency Trump administration effort will target fertilizer costs and boost U.S. production, with a major announcement expected yet this week.
In a candid conversation with Farm Journal, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden says USDA’s message to fertilizer companies is simple: “Be part of the solution, don’t be part of the problem.”
As the Iran war drives fertilizer prices up 40%, the Trump administration is warning against price gouging. A new survey shows only 60% of corn farmers have secured their nitrogen needs for 2026.
Fertilizer price spikes are clouding spring planting as farmers warn of mounting financial strain, while lawmakers push for greater transparency with recently proposed legislation in both the House and Senate.
While an unexpected March freeze is causing some farmers in Mississippi to replant corn, a mild spring is spurring early planting, with some farmers reporting they’ll finish planting corn by the end of this week.
As the five-year sunset review begins, corn growers are urging regulators to scrap phosphate duties they say have restricted supply and cost U.S. agriculture $1 billion each year.
Fertilizer prices were already elevated, but they’re now surging just weeks before spring planting. What can be done to ease costs in the short term as well as fix the problem for good?
As fertilizer prices emerge as a top threat to profitability, analysts highlight structural supply issues and global trade shifts that leave little room for price relief despite growing domestic frustration.
Economists say cash rent acre expansion comes at too high of a cost with low commodity prices and high input prices.
At a fiery Senate hearing, farmers and lawmakers call out corporate consolidation for driving up input costs, while industry leaders insist global geopolitics, not greed, are to blame.