In the United States, farmers caught up in the war in the Middle East and the soaring price of fertilizers

Andy Corriher voted for Donald Trump. From his farm in the southeast of the United States, he observes, powerless, as the Middle East war drives up his costs and risks reducing his harvest. “We’ve been hit at the worst possible moment. We need fertilizer, the price of which is skyrocketing and availability is decreasing,” says the 47-year-old farmer, on the edge of a field of tender green wheat.

Prices have soared by 40% since the war

In response to Israeli-American bombings on its soil, Tehran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime route for the trade of oil and fertilizer, causing prices to skyrocket. These are two major expenses for farmers, who are largely loyal to the Republican party in power in the United States.

In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump came out on top in 78% of agriculture-dependent counties, according to the Investigate Midwest organization. The Republican attributed the price surge to the “fertilizer monopoly” and declared, “American farmers, we are with you!”

Based in China Grove, North Carolina, Andy Corriher is still waiting for the liquid nitrogen fertilizer he ordered several weeks ago. The seller “says they still don’t know when they can deliver it.” According to him, the price has increased by at least 40% since the war. The farmer has decided to use one-third less, risking compromising the yield.

Using “the bare minimum”

About fifty kilometers away, Russell Hedrick had no choice but to buy most of his fertilizer after the price hike. “Many American farmers don’t have enough space” to stock up in advance, explains the forty-year-old while mixing products to feed his 400 hectares of soybeans and cereals. He has decided to use the “bare minimum” of fertilizer and add more later if needed.

Even before the war, costs were such that “farmers had to play chemists like Breaking Bad with fertilizers to get the most out of them,” he says.

In another farm in North Carolina, Derrick Austin struggles to digest comments from Agriculture Minister Brooke Rollins. She emphasized that 80% of American farmers were able to buy the necessary fertilizer before the conflict. “It left me breathless,” describes the 55-year-old man, who is among the remaining 20%.

He called his supplier as soon as he learned of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and managed to negotiate tens of tons of nitrogen fertilizer at the previous price “to at least be able to feed my wheat.” “It was heartbreaking.”

“Collateral damage”

“American agriculture has been in recession for two years,” recalls Chad Hart, a sector specialist at the University of Iowa, a rural state in the center of the United States. The conflict will worsen the situation, but many farmers have been able to minimize the damage and spread fertilizer without astronomical surcharges, adds the professor. The 2027 harvest will be more of a cause for concern if the conflict persists, he believes.

“It’s as if we didn’t really think about all the consequences (of the war) for Americans,” muses Andy Corriher, for whom “everyone seems to be suffering” from the soaring fuel prices. The farmer, who supported Donald Trump, feels that these repercussions have been somewhat neglected, considered as collateral damage.

Asked about his perception of the president, Derrick Austin says he is “beginning to question some of his reasoning.” The Republican government “is still better than some alternatives,” he adds.

“He is human like us. I think he makes good decisions, but I also think he makes mistakes,” remarks Russell Hedrick, who voted for Trump three times (in 2016, 2020, and 2024).