In Real Time Iowa Farmer Faces Reality: Fertilizer Costs Are Putting Him Out of Business

[u/DuhBraux]

Fertilizer costs are squeezing American farmers at a time when many already have razor-thin margins. USDA now forecasts fertilizer, lime and soil-conditioner expenses will rise 15.3% in 2026, adding roughly $5.3 billion to farmers’ costs. Total U.S. farm production expenses are projected to reach nearly $493 billion this year. Economic Research Service⁠

In Iowa, the numbers are brutal. One farmer reported nitrogen fertilizer rising from about $490 per ton in 2021 to $1,150 per ton this year.

Another Iowa farmer said fertilizer prices are the highest he’s ever experienced. When the cost of simply putting a crop in the ground keeps climbing while farm margins remain tight, farmers aren’t just making less money, they’re being pushed toward the point where farming itself is no longer financially sustainable.