Thanx Donny. Iran War Deprives U.S. Farmers of Affordable Fertilizer as Spring Planting Looms

[Botany]

The Trump Administration is now working on a way to pay American farmers money
to offset the additional costs they will have to pay for fertilizer. These payments will
be in addition to the money that is now being paid to farmers because Trump’s bizarre
tariffs and alienation of our trading partners has lost them markets worldwide.

Trump is nucking futz. And he is burning America to the ground.

**************

The Iran war has cut off critical nitrogen fertilizer supplies from the Gulf to the world's farmers. More than 30% of world nitrogen fertilizer exports, as well as fertilizer components like sulfur, pass through the now effectively closed Strait of Hormuz.

Unlike China, most countries do not hold strategic reserves of fertilizer, and much of the U.S. fertilizer dealer system does not hold stocks, leaving it vulnerable to sudden supply shortages.

"It's not like there's a whole lot of fertilizer sitting on the shelf," said Veronica Nigh, an economist at The Fertilizer Institute. "It's very much a just-in-time business model."

The length of time that the Strait of Hormuz is closed is critical. Fertilizer loaded onto ships in the Gulf can take weeks to reach markets like the U.S., and then must be transferred to river barges, trucks or trains to reach farmland. Most fertilizer needs to be applied before the crop starts growing, so any supplies arriving too late cannot be used for the 2026 crop.

On Friday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the Trump administration is "looking at every potential avenue" to control fertilizer costs and having discussions with lawmakers about more aid for farmers.

The Trump administration is in the process of distributing $12 billion in aid to U.S. farmers. Farmer groups have urged Congress to approve additional aid.

https://www.agriculture.com/partners-iran-war-deprives-u-s-farmers-of-affordable-fertilizer-as-spring-planting-looms-11926782

[gab13by13]

1. You know what really, really, pisses me off,

When every damn cable news anchor on TV calls Republicans, "conservatives."

The last conservative Republican was Teddy Roosevelt.

[Mister Ed]

2. But giving farmers money to compensate them for the crops they couldn't grow and sell...

... still does not put food on people's tables.

[Chasstev365]

3. Everything Trump touches dies...

[Botany]

4. It gets worse. Politico, "It's not just oil. Here comes Hormuz inflation."

Trump is not just burning America to the ground but a nice chunk of the world’s economy too.

***********

The war with Iran is driving up more than gasoline prices. It is beginning to hit semiconductors, medical imaging, backyard gardens and even children’s party balloons.

While much of the world is focused on how Iran’s essential closure of the Strait of Hormuz is damaging global energy markets, other key industries risk getting hit by similar price inflation. That’s because Hormuz is also a major shipping route for helium and fertilizer, which both affect a wide sector of the economy and are now experiencing price spikes as ships bottleneck on both sides of the strait.

Snip

About a third of both the global helium and fertilizer supply passes through Hormuz. Half of the global supply of urea – a nitrogen-based fertilizer– and almost a third of the ammonia supply run through the straits, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Prices are already spiking since global supplies are taking a hit right as many agricultural producers are beginning their Spring plants. Urea prices have jumped 30 percent since the Trump administration began bombing Iran, according to the Fertilizer Institute.

Meanwhile, helium spot prices have doubled since the war began, said Anish Kapadia, CEO of market research firm AKAP Energy. Qatar’s state-run energy firm halted liquified natural gas production in the first days of the war and it is estimated it will take months to get it back up and running. The nation is a major producer of helium, which is a byproduct of liquefied natural gas production.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/14/hormuz-inflation-helium-fertilizer-00828680

[gab13by13]

6. Of course,

Cargo ships also use Hormuz. Iran just allowed a Pakistani cargo ship through the strait, it guided it through.

[durablend]

8. Hassett: "Nobody cares about that stuff"

[BeyondGeography]

5. The hits just keep on coming

Whether we asked for it (looking at you, the vast majority of farmers) or not.

[roamer65]

7. Synchronized global RECESSION.

[Maru Kitteh]

10. Big men w/tears in their eyes will regret having but one farm

To give their dear leader.