The war in Iran is pushing up prices for already-strained farmers, with higher costs for fertilizer and energy on top of last year’s tariffs. And the increasing pressure on American agriculture could lead to even bigger price tags at the grocery store.
John Yeley, an Illinois farmer who grows corn and soybeans, said prices for nitrogen — a key fertilizer component — are going up so fast that he can’t even get suppliers to commit to a price ahead of purchases.
“When I call a retailer right now … I could not get a price on any nitrogen source out there,” he said.