Farmers may face an increasing crisis on fertilizer prices as President Trump declares a full naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz which will threaten economies far beyond the Middle East.
NewsNation’s Brooke Shafer reported that it isn’t just 20% of the world’s oil that travels through the Strait, but about one-third of the world’s fertilizer also, according to the United Nations.
Products that could be affected include nitrogen fertilizers, which require natural gas and phosphate fertilizers, made from urea, ammonia and sulfer, many of which are critical to producing wheat, fruit, corn, rice and more.
The blockade could drive up prices, which have already spiked more than 40% since last year. That combined with the higher costs of gasoline and diesel will drive the price of production even higher.
Urea, which is particularly relied on for growing grains, and certain fruits and vegetables, has surged in cost.
Meanwhile, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he is watching prices closely, saying the US will not accept price gouging from the fertilizer monopoly, yet the blockade will exasperate the market overall.
To make matters worse, China has indicated it will halt exports of sulfuric acid beginning in May which will hit metals and fertilizer industries already strained by raw material bottlenecks resulting from the war in Iran. Sulfuric acid prices have been rising since the start of the Iran conflict, as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz blocks sulfur shipments from the Middle East, where it’s a product of oil and gas refining. The region produces one third of the world’s sulfur, a raw material used to make sulfuric acid that’s essential for some copper extraction and phosphate fertilizers.
As of early April 2026, anhydrous ammonia fertilizer prices in Texas and surrounding regions have surged, The USDA reported that fertilizer prices are between $900 and over $1,250 per ton. This represents a significant increase, driven by regional demand, with some reports noting prices climbing to around $1,000 per ton. The USDA is working with the Department of Justice to investigate potential price gouging by major producers such as Nutrien, Mosaic, CF Industries, Koch and Yara.
Reps. Dusty Johnson (RSD) and Brad Finstad (RMN) introduced the bipartisan Fertilizer Transparency Act in the House with support from co-sponsors, including Angie Craig (DMN). The legislation would require USDA to publish weekly fertilizer price reports, providing farmers with more timely and accurate market data.
The House legislation came a week after the Senate introduced similar legislation. The Senate Fertilizer Transparency Act of 2026 was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers last week, led by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (DMN), with additional support from Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The Senate bill would also require USDA to collect and publish weekly fertilizer price data to give farmers clearer, more timely market information.