Fertilizer Prices Forcing Tough Decisions

Recently, I made a difficult decision that no farmer wants to make. I chose not to buy commercial fertilizer for my hay fields this year. It wasn’t an easy call. Like so many farmers across the country, I’ve been looking at rising fertilizer costs and trying to make the numbers work. And this year, they just didn’t.

That decision doesn’t stay on paper. It shows up in the field. Spring is usually when we see our healthiest and most abundant hay crop. Without the commercial fertilizer we rely on, and facing extreme drought on top of that, I know we’re going to come up short. I’ve turned to substitutes like chicken litter where I can, but it’s not a full replacement.

That means lower yields, fewer bales of hay, and a more difficult road ahead when it comes time to feed my cattle through winter. And unfortunately, my story isn’t unique, it’s happening on farms across the country.

Fertilizer Prices Adding Pressure to the Farm Economy

To find out whether farmers have what they need for this growing season, our team went straight to the source. In just nine days, more than 5,700 farmers from every state and Puerto Rico responded to a Farm Bureau survey on fertilizer costs, and the results speak for themselves.

Seventy percent of farmers who responded to the survey say they won’t be able to afford all the fertilizer they need this year. Many are already making tough decisions by cutting back on fertilizer use or reducing planted acres altogether. When that happens, we risk lower yields and less food moving through the supply chain.

This struggle is driven by factors far beyond the farm gate. Global disruptions have tightened fertilizer supplies and driven up costs. At the same time, fuel prices continue to rise, further tightening our balance sheets.

Farmers are price-takers. We don’t get to set what we earn, but no matter the returns, we still have bills to pay. And right now, those bills are getting harder to cover. It’s no surprise that 94% of farmers from our survey say their financial situation has worsened or stayed the same compared to last year. Farm families have been facing tightening margins for years, and the pressure is only building.

Farm Bureau’s Grassroots in Action

What gives me hope is the strength of our Farm Bureau family across our federation. They quickly came together to tell this story. Our staff at the national and state level stepped up to build the survey and get it out the door, and our grassroots responded, sharing real-time feedback from thousands of farmers across the country. Our team went to work, digging into the numbers to make sure we captured a clear and accurate picture of what farmers are facing. Then we packaged it up for media and generated nearly 250 articles in 24 hours and more than 500 articles in a few days. That's the strength of our federation.

When farmers need a voice, we make sure it’s heard. This survey is a direct result of that effort, and it’s helping us deliver a clear message to policymakers about what’s happening in the countryside.

Turning Farmers’ Stories into Action

Now, we’re taking these results to leaders in Congress and the administration. Farmers need reliable access to fertilizer and tools to manage rising costs. That means strengthening supply chains, ensuring products can move efficiently and providing support when global disruptions ripple through the farm economy.

That also means providing certainty for farmers and ranchers across the country by passing a new, modernized farm bill. Because when volatility like this sends farmers on a roller coaster ride, farm bill programs are the steadying force farmers rely on.

Decisions like the one I made on my farm shouldn’t be the norm. Farmers are used to making tough calls, but we need policies that ensure we can keep producing the food, fiber and renewable fuel that American families rely on. With the strength of our grassroots behind us, we’ll keep working to make sure agriculture’s voice is heard.