Farmers growing increasingly desperate amid rising energy and fertilizer prices

"“There's going to be fewer farmers next year than there is this year,” Mueller says. Zoom in: Farmers are grappling with a confluence of forces, including: Skyrocketing energy prices triggered by President Trump's Iran war, which led to the shuttering of Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for fossil fuels. Spiking fertilizer prices and shortages after the Iranians blocked shipments through the strait. Disrupted export markets tied to Trump's tariffs and Chinese import restrictions. Global drought and other weather pressures, including climate change."

"“What makes this moment particularly hard is that farmers can't pivot quickly,” says Cornell University agricultural economist Wendong Zhang. "Farmers have some tools, but none are quick fixes." Zoom in: The crisis is hitting farmers hard across the country. In Arkansas, rising energy prices and fertilizer costs are exerting pressure on farmers who were already reaping lower prices for their crops. In Ohio, first-generation farmer Michael Kilpatrick said his fuel bills are up from $400 to $700, and container costs have risen 30%: "If prices go up, we're eating that difference.""

"In Iowa, farmers are dealing with a decline in soybean prices from $13-$15 to around $10 per bushel, as exports to China have fallen due to trade tensions. In Minnesota, calls to the state's farm and rural issues mental health line are climbing. The helpline logged 314 calls in fiscal year 2025 - the most in five years - and has already topp"

Farmers are experiencing severe financial stress marked by rising bankruptcies and reduced willingness from lenders to provide operational loans. The outlook suggests fewer farmers next year than this year. Multiple forces are converging, including sharply higher energy prices tied to disruptions in global fossil-fuel shipping, along with fertilizer price spikes and shortages. Export markets are also strained by tariffs and Chinese import restrictions. Weather-related pressures, including drought and climate change, add further strain. Farmers in several states report squeezed margins from higher fuel and container costs, lower crop prices, and increased trade-related declines in exports. Mental health support demand is rising as financial pressure grows.

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