Iowa Farmers Face $1,050 Fertilizer and $5.50 Diesel as Trump’s Iran, China Policies Squeeze Margins
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 28
Iowa Farmers Face $1,050 Fertilizer and $5.50 Diesel as Trump’s Iran, China Policies Squeeze Margins
7 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 28
Fertilizer on some Iowa farms climbed from $795 a ton before the Iran attack to $1,050 within weeks, while diesel rose from $3.75 a gallon to more than $5.50, pushing already thin margins toward loss.
The cost shock stems from the Strait of Hormuz shutdown after Trump’s strike on Iran, while his renewed China trade war cut U.S. farm exports to China by nearly $15 billion from March 2025 to February.
Thirteen Iowa farmers interviewed said volatility, repair bills and equipment costs as high as $1 million are making planning difficult; several linked the strain to worsening mental health and suicides in farm communities.
Many still back Trump, but confidence is fraying: a Fox News poll found 68% of white rural voters now disapprove of his handling of the economy, versus 32% approval, after a 52%-47% approval edge in January.
That unease carries political weight in Iowa, where Democrats need four Senate seats to regain control and retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst has opened a competitive race.
With farm aid at record highs, why are farmers still on the brink of ruin?
How did a conflict 7,000 miles away bring American family farms to their knees?
As bailouts prove insufficient, what can truly save the future of U.S. agriculture?