Demand Emergency Relief for Farmers as Fertilizer Costs Threaten Our Food Supply
The Issue
America's farmers are in crisis — and if Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) don't act now, the consequences will show up on every family's grocery bill.
A new survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) found that 70 percent of U.S. farmers say fertilizer has become too expensive to buy. Ninety-four percent report their financial situation has gotten worse or stayed the same. These aren't statistics — they're farm families who may not be able to plant this spring.
The cause is clear. The ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway through which more than one-third of all globally traded fertilizer travels. The AFBF's economic team reported that nitrogen fertilizer prices have risen more than 30 percent since the conflict began on February 28, 2026. Urea prices — a key ingredient in crop fertilizer — have jumped 47 percent. Combined fuel and fertilizer costs are up between 20 and 40 percent. As the AFBF put it, "Spring planting decisions depend heavily on access to fertilizer and diesel fuel, both of which have been impacted by geopolitical risks that have disrupted global markets."
When farmers can't plant, food doesn't grow. When food doesn't grow, grocery prices go up — for everyone. This is not a problem that stays on the farm. It comes home with every American who buys bread, eggs, or vegetables.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said there "should not be much disruption" because 80 percent of farmers pre-purchased fertilizer last year. But that leaves roughly one in three farmers — especially in the South, where pre-booking rates were as low as 19 percent — who are now facing this crisis with no backup plan. That is not a small number. That is millions of acres of American farmland that may go unplanted.
The White House has said it is exploring options to help farmers. Exploring is not enough. We need action.
We are calling on Congress and the USDA to pass an emergency relief package for farmers who cannot afford fertilizer this planting season — before it is too late to save this year's harvest. This means direct financial assistance, expedited loans, and a credible plan to stabilize fertilizer costs for the farmers who are already on the edge.
American farmers feed this country. It is time for this country to have their backs.
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The Issue
America's farmers are in crisis — and if Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) don't act now, the consequences will show up on every family's grocery bill.
A new survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) found that 70 percent of U.S. farmers say fertilizer has become too expensive to buy. Ninety-four percent report their financial situation has gotten worse or stayed the same. These aren't statistics — they're farm families who may not be able to plant this spring.
The cause is clear. The ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway through which more than one-third of all globally traded fertilizer travels. The AFBF's economic team reported that nitrogen fertilizer prices have risen more than 30 percent since the conflict began on February 28, 2026. Urea prices — a key ingredient in crop fertilizer — have jumped 47 percent. Combined fuel and fertilizer costs are up between 20 and 40 percent. As the AFBF put it, "Spring planting decisions depend heavily on access to fertilizer and diesel fuel, both of which have been impacted by geopolitical risks that have disrupted global markets."
When farmers can't plant, food doesn't grow. When food doesn't grow, grocery prices go up — for everyone. This is not a problem that stays on the farm. It comes home with every American who buys bread, eggs, or vegetables.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said there "should not be much disruption" because 80 percent of farmers pre-purchased fertilizer last year. But that leaves roughly one in three farmers — especially in the South, where pre-booking rates were as low as 19 percent — who are now facing this crisis with no backup plan. That is not a small number. That is millions of acres of American farmland that may go unplanted.
The White House has said it is exploring options to help farmers. Exploring is not enough. We need action.
We are calling on Congress and the USDA to pass an emergency relief package for farmers who cannot afford fertilizer this planting season — before it is too late to save this year's harvest. This means direct financial assistance, expedited loans, and a credible plan to stabilize fertilizer costs for the farmers who are already on the edge.
American farmers feed this country. It is time for this country to have their backs.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on May 7, 2026