War in Iran Disrupts Fertilizer Exports, Threatening U.S. Crop Yields

The war with Iran has triggered a 25% price hike in fertilizer, impacting U.S. farmers as they prepare to plant corn, according to NPR. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that the rising fertilizer prices "shouldn’t be too disruptive" for U.S. farmers, claiming that 80% of farmers already purchased their fertilizer last year in preparation for the spring planting season. Gulf states are major fertilizer producers.

Democrats in Congress are seeking oversight of the war in Iran, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) stated she would not support boots on the ground in Iran. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo) expressed hope that ground troops would not escalate the conflict. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) moved to subpoena Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner before the House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the war, but the motion failed by a vote of 24 to 22.

A Reuters-Ipsos poll conducted from March 17-19 found that 65% of U.S. adults thought it was at least somewhat likely that the U.S. will deploy troops in Iran for a large-scale ground operation. Only 7% said they supported deploying a large number of troops on the ground, while 34% supported deploying a small number of special forces for targeted operations. Pew Research Center polling released Wednesday found that six-in-ten Americans at least somewhat disapprove of President Trump's handling of the war.

U.S. military officials compile a daily video update for President Trump showing successful strikes on Iranian targets, according to NBC News. These montages typically run for about two minutes. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected the notion that Trump doesn’t receive information about the full range of developments in the war. Chief Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said Operation Epic Fury has been an overwhelming success. The U.S. has deployed the 82nd Airborne and thousands of Marines and sailors to the Middle East, according to Fox News.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt signaled the U.S. was winding down its military operation in Iran, but vowed to ramp up attacks if Iran does not agree to U.S. terms. She said that the president is ready to "unleash hell" if Iran does not accept defeat. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said any talks with Iran must aim to end the war. Iran has offered a counterproposal to end the war, asking for sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and a complete end to “aggression” from the U.S. and Israel, according to The Hill. Trump's trip to meet Xi Jinping in China has been rescheduled for May due to the Iran war, according to The Guardian.

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. is now a dollar higher than it was in the days before the war with Iran, according to AAA. The average U.S. gas price on Wednesday was a little over $3.98 per gallon, up from approximately $2.98 a month ago. The war in Iran could weaken the U.S. dollar’s historic dominance in the oil-rich Middle East and bolster a “petroyuan” alternative backed by China’s currency, according to analysts at Deutsche Bank.

As the war continues, farmers can monitor fertilizer prices and consider alternative nutrient sources to mitigate potential impacts on their crop yields.