Price of Key Ag Necessities Have Soared Since the Start of the Iran War

Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 -- 8:00 AM

(Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval, Harvest Public Media) The price of key agricultural necessities such as diesel and nitrogen fertilizer has soared since the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade passageway, has largely been choked off amid the war in Iran.

According to Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval with Harvest Public Media, the price of urea, a major nitrogen-based fertilizer, shot up to nearly $700 per ton in late April from $455 per ton on Feb. 27, the day before the war in Iran broke out. On-highway diesel prices clocked around $5.35 a gallon in late April, a hike from the $3.81 a gallon reported the week the war began.

A recent survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation found that about 70 percent of farmers nationwide who responded report they are unable to afford all the fertilizer they need.

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