Fertilizer Prices Up; BS Flowing Freely

It’s too bad farmers can’t use Trump’s bullshit as fertilizer, because his tariffs are making the regular chemical fertilizer cost 10%–15% more:

A farm management specialist at the University of Illinois says fertilizer costs are putting a squeeze on farmers planning for 2026.

Gary Schnitkey says the elevated prices, primarily resulting from several global supply challenges, are outpacing stagnant commodity prices.

“And as we look at nitrogen fertilizer, if anything, it’s gone up in recent months.”  He says, “It’s 10 to 15% higher than last year’s levels.  That’s pretty high relative to the price of corn that we’re looking at today” [Jared White, “Fertilizer Prices Pinching 2026 Plans,” Brownfield Ag News, 2025.08.19].

Farmers are paying more for other ag inputs:

Agri-Pulse’s Oliver Ward reported that “as the dust begins to settle on new tariff rates and industries parse through how the duties will affect their sectors, some widely used agricultural inputs seem particularly exposed to the tariff hikes while impacts on agri-food imports have been more muted.”

“The average effective tariff rate across all inputs jumped from just 0.9% when Trump took office in January to 12.2% today. But some widely-used farm inputs, including pesticides, have seen steeper tariff hikes,” Ward reported. “The average effective tariff rate applied to herbicides, insecticides and other pesticides is now 20% or higher. Tractors and other ag machinery and parts saw average effective tariff rates hiked from zero — or close to — to 16% and 13%, respectively. Phosphate and nitrogen enjoyed tariff-free trade before Trump took office but are now subject to average effective rates near 10%” [Ryan Hanrahan, “Farmers Feel Fertilizer Price Squeeze as Tariffs Hit Ag Sector,” University of Illinois Farm Policy News, 2025.08.21].

Yet the Trump regime insists this economic pain is all part of the plan to herald in a “golden age for our American farmers” that “is right around the corner”:

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Thursday the “unease with the current farm economy” many farmers are experiencing is part of President Donald Trump’s larger plan to put America first, and she pledged the agricultural outlook would improve as he completes “even more exciting” trade deals.

“These trade renegotiations, opening up the markets, cutting deals….. Bangladesh, just, I believe, yesterday, announced a massive purchase of wheat from America. We’ll have more of those coming soon,” she said during an interview on Fox Business Network. “The golden age for our American farmers is around the corner.”

The Agriculture Department continues to forecast higher farm earnings in 2025 but largely because of increased government subsidies and strong livestock markets that are offsetting losses on the crop side.

“No one has been more supportive or passionate or dedicated to our farmers than President Trump,” Rollins said. She blamed former President Joe Biden for the high cost of farm inputs and an estimated ag trade deficit of $47 billion for fiscal 2025. “Just one thing after another that has hit the farm economy,” she added [Sara Wyant, “Rollins: ‘Golden Age’ for American Farmers Is ‘Around the Corner’,” Successful Farming, 2025.09.05].

There, farmers, spread that on your fields.