Farmers fertilizer affordability 2026 has become a defining crisis of this spring planting season, according to a nationwide survey of more than 5,700 farmers conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation between April 3 and April 11. The results are stark: 70 percent of U.S. farmers say they cannot afford to purchase all the fertilizer they need to get through the year. In the South, where pre-booking rates were lowest, that figure jumps to 78 percent. Even in the Midwest, about half of farmers say they cannot secure their full fertilizer needs. AFBF economist Faith Parum said the numbers reflect something deeper than a supply disruption. “We know that there have been several consecutive years of losses, and our analysis shows that farmers don’t think it’s going to get any better this year,” she said.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall, speaking at a media briefing on April 14, called the current situation “generational headwinds” for American agriculture. The fertilizer crisis is layered on top of four consecutive years of losses in most row crop markets. USDA projects corn costs $5 per bushel to produce but will sell for $4.20. Soybeans cost $12.27 to produce but are expected to sell for $10.30. Total farm debt in 2026 is projected to reach a record $624.7 billion. Farm bankruptcies climbed to 315 filings in 2025.
Farmers fertilizer affordability 2026 crisis hits the South hardest as distributors refuse to quote prices
Harry Ott, a row crop farmer and president of the South Carolina Farm Bureau, said the situation is immediate and concrete. He called his fertilizer distributor for a price estimate and a delivery window — and was told the company would not deliver or quote prices until the war plays out. Before the Iran conflict began, Ott said South Carolina farmers were already at break-even or losing money on most row crops. Now, conditions are worse. One South Dakota farmer told AFBF Vice President John Newton that he had 60 percent of his fertilizer ordered before the war. When he placed his next order, the price had risen by $200 per ton, adding nearly $20,000 to his fertilizer bill. “This is real money. These are real price increases that have real effects on farmers and our food security,” Newton said.
Newton warned that the timing problem may already be irreversible for some producers. Even if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz resumed immediately, he said, it would still take 30 days for product to reach the United States. Some farmers are already past the critical window for pre-plant fertilizer applications. For more on how fertilizer price pressure is changing what farmers plan to grow, Agroinformacion covered the Farmer’s Keeper survey showing 20% of farmers have cut corn acres since the price spike began.
Farmers are cutting fertilizer rates, switching crops, or doing nothing and hoping for the best
The AFBF survey makes clear that farmers are responding to the affordability crisis in three ways: reducing fertilizer application rates, shifting acres from corn to soybeans to lower nitrogen requirements, or holding their plans and absorbing the loss. Oklahoma farmer Tommy Salisbury captured the sentiment: “We are paying input prices of 2026, but getting crop prices of the ’70s and ’80s.” Salisbury is reducing his milo acreage and shifting toward soybeans. Parum warned that all three responses carry risk. “When producers cannot afford full fertilizer application rates, they may reduce nutrient use or shift acreage decisions, both of which increase the risk of lower yields,” she said. Break-even prices without government support now range from $4.70 to $4.90 per bushel for corn and $10.80 to $11.25 for soybeans — both at or above current market prices. The original reporting was published by Farm and Dairy on April 22, 2026.