Seven in ten American farmers now cannot afford the fertilizer their crops require, as the conflict involving Iran sends input costs beyond what many operations can absorb, Fortune reports.

The figure frames a margin squeeze that reaches from the Persian Gulf into U.S. farm country. Fertilizer is a globally traded commodity, and disruptions linked to the war have pushed prices to levels that leave a majority of growers unable to buy the volumes their agronomic plans call for.

What does the shock mean for farm margins?

When fertilizer becomes unaffordable, growers face three bad options: apply less and accept lower yields, switch crops with lower nutrient demand, or absorb the cost and watch operating margins collapse. Each path pressures revenue at harvest and ripples into the broader food supply chain.

The burden falls unevenly. Operations with thinner working capital and less hedging capacity — typically smaller and mid-sized farms — are the first to cut applications. Larger operators with forward purchasing agreements or storage have more room to wait out the spike.

Why does a Middle East war hit U.S. fertilizer prices?

Fertilizer supply chains depend on global energy markets and trade routes that the Iran conflict has destabilized. Higher energy prices raise production costs for nitrogen-based products, while shipping disruption and regional risk premiums add further pressure. U.S. growers, who buy in these same global markets, pay the difference.

The 70% affordability figure stands as a survey-based measure of grower distress — a snapshot of how many farmers report they cannot cover the fertilizer their operations need at current prices. It is a condition report on farm finances, not a harvest result, and outcomes for individual operations will vary with crop mix, region, and purchasing timing.

What comes next?

Input affordability at this scale raises questions about planted acreage, application rates, and ultimately yield potential for the current season. How the conflict evolves — and whether energy and shipping costs retreat — will determine whether the 70% figure marks a peak in farm-country distress or a new baseline for fertilizer budgets heading into the next planning cycle.