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In an American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) survey conducted April 3–11, 2026, 70% of respondents said fertilizer prices meant they could not buy all they needed. The result describes what survey participants reported—not a measured share of every U.S. farmer.
What does the 70% figure mean?
More than 5,700 farmers, including Farm Bureau members and non-members, responded to AFBF’s survey from every state and Puerto Rico. AFBF asked about fertilizer affordability; 70% said it was so expensive they would not be able to purchase all the fertilizer they needed. The finding is self-reported affordability, not a calculation of farm budgets or fertilizer use. AFBF’s release gives the field dates and headline result.
The published materials do not provide the full questionnaire, sampling frame, response rate, weighting method or margin of error. That means the result should be described as the share of AFBF survey respondents who gave that answer, rather than as a census or a precisely representative estimate of all U.S. farmers.
How did affordability differ by region?
AFBF reported substantial regional differences in both fertilizer affordability and pre-booking—buying fertilizer ahead of the season. The percentages below are AFBF survey results:
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| Region | Respondents unable to afford all needed fertilizer | Respondents who pre-booked fertilizer |
|---|---|---|
| South | 78% | 19% |
| Northeast | 69% | 30% |
| West | 66% | 31% |
| Midwest | 48% | 67% |
The South had the highest reported affordability difficulty and the lowest pre-booking share among these four regions; the Midwest had the lowest affordability difficulty and highest pre-booking share. AFBF’s economist also reported that smaller farms pre-booked less often than larger operations across all regions, potentially leaving them more exposed to in-season price changes. These patterns do not establish that pre-booking or farm size caused a respondent’s affordability difficulty. See AFBF Market Intel’s regional and farm-size analysis.
Which farm types reported the most difficulty?
AFBF’s commodity-level reporting found that more than 80% of rice, cotton and peanut producers said they could not afford all required fertilizer. This is a reported survey result for those producer groups, not a measure of all farms growing those crops or of the amount of fertilizer they ultimately applied.
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What price pressures did AFBF report?
Alongside the survey findings, AFBF’s analysis reported that nitrogen fertilizer prices had risen more than 30%, combined fuel and fertilizer costs had increased roughly 20% to 40%, and urea prices had risen 47% since the end of February 2026. AFBF also reported farm diesel prices up 46% since the end of February. These are figures reported by AFBF; they are not independently verified here, and the survey does not show that a single geopolitical event caused every increase. AFBF described geopolitical risks and disruptions to global markets, including risks involving the Strait of Hormuz, as context for input costs.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “The skyrocketing cost of fuel and fertilizer is creating more economic hardships for farmers who have already endured years of losses.” In the survey, 94% of respondents said their financial situation had worsened or stayed the same since the prior year, while 6% said it had improved.
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What could the affordability problem mean for the 2026 crop?
AFBF reported that some farmers planned to delay or forgo fertilizer application in the hope that prices would later become affordable. Its economist said reduced nutrient application or changes in acreage could raise the risk of lower yields or reduced production potential in the 2026 crop year. Those are reported plans and prospective risks—not evidence that yield losses have already occurred. The cited reporting does not establish resulting food shortages or consumer price changes.
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- OPERATION: These fertilizer spreaders for lawns feature a hopper and agitator designed for smooth product funneling and consistent coverage
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