Apr 16, 2026 By Karen Mansfield 3 min read

Farmers across the country – including Southwestern Pennsylvania – are facing soaring fertilizer prices amid the war in Iran and shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.

The rising fertilizer costs come as farmers are already dealing with higher war-related diesel prices ahead of spring planting, along with substantial crop losses from deer and variable weather conditions, including prolonged drought.

At a time when profit margins are already razor-thin, the increased costs for fertilizer supplies likely will increase production costs for farmers.

Don Carter, a member of the Washington County Farm Bureau, said the spike in fertilizer “has had a tremendous impact on the farming community.

“The situation going on in the Middle East right now has everybody on pins and needles,” said Carter.

In Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, some farmers may be insulated from the latest price jumps because they locked in fertilizer prices early.

That’s the case for Simmons Farm in McMurray, Washington County, and Andrews Farm in Perryopolis, Fayette County.

“I have the space, and I purchased my fertilizer in December,” said Bob Simmons, owner of Simmons Farm, who purchases about 40 tons of fertilizer each year for the vegetables, fruits and berries that grow on the farm.

But throughout the U.S., some farmers lack storage to stock up far ahead of planting, while others lacked the funds to purchase in advance. The cost per ton of fertilizer has jumped more than 30%, to about $490 per ton, nearly $140 higher than it cost in February.

Mike Reskovac, who owns the 800-acre Reskovac Farms in Uniontown had planned to purchase fertilizer for his corn, soybeans, wheat, and other crops after he returned home from a family vacation, but the conflict with Iran started two days before he got back.

“We had ordered all our seed and most of the chemicals, but not our fertilizers. After we got home, we couldn’t even get a price for fertilizer for 10 days, and when we did, nitrogen went up $150 a ton more than it was a few weeks before that,” said Reskovac. “I was talking to farmers across the state in eastern Pennsylvania, and it’s hit about $1,000 a ton for urea (a common nitrogen-based fertilizer), probably $500 or $600 more than it had been, and on top of that you do have the increased fuel cost. There’s not much you can do about it.”

About a third of the global trade in raw materials for fertilizer passes through the strait, and the Persian Gulf is also home to some of the world’s largest fertilizer factory sites.

Nationwide, the rising input costs and falling commodity prices are causing farmers to scale back inputs, shift crops, and reconsider how much to plant.

A new survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation conducted from April 3 through 11 showed almost 6 in 10 farmers report worsening financial conditions amid rising input and fuel costs. It’s another hurdle for farmers, who are used to battling weather, disease, and insects.

“I think it would be really challenging to start farming today,” said Reskovac, a first-generation farmer who began farming – an occupation he loves – 23 years ago. “I don’t know how someone would start today.”

He has incorporated agritainment into his farm business, including a huge corn maze and autumn festival during the fall season.

“Diversification is something more farmers need to look into, but that’s hard, too,” said Reskovac. “(Farming’s) getting harder and harder. Fertilizer, for everything, is about $70,000, we spend around $50,000 to $60,000 for seed, and that’s not counting chemicals, diesel fuel, equipment, parts and repairs. It’s not easy.”