Iran-induced fertilizer shortage threatens Republicans in farm states ahead of midterms
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Democrats are vying for competitive seats across farm country in 2026, and fertilizer shortages spurred by the Iran war give them a new affordability angle.
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In this article @C.1 Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Garrett Mauch spreads manure as fertilizer on fields at his family's farm in Lamar, Colorado, on January 21, 2026. RJ Sangosti | The Denver Post Via Getty Images | Denver Post | Getty Images The Strait of Hormuz shutdown caused by the war in Iran is jacking up fertilizer prices, hitting farmers in their pocketbooks and threatening to raise food prices. Now, Democrats trying to win the U.S. midterm elections in November see another new opportunity to pound the affordability crisis and turn the tide after years of losses in the states that produce crops and livestock. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical channel for fertilizer, including about 50 percent of global nitrogen-rich urea fertilizers, according to the Fertilizer Institute , the industry's trade association. The Strait has been effectively impassable since President Donald Trump launched the assault, which is now dragging into its third week with no end in sight. The closure has spiked fertilizer prices just before planting season, potentially scrambling decision-making for farmers across the U.S. And it comes on top of already low commodity prices that have lingered for years and eaten into farmers' margins. "We're in uncharted territory," Matt Frostic, a Michigan farmer who sits on the board of the National Corn Growers Association, said in an interview with CNBC. "It's like a code red." Frostic said he purchased nitrogen fertilizer, critical for corn crops , in January for around $350 per ton. That same product, he said, is now closing in on $600 per ton. The murky farm outlook also comes eight months before the midterm elections that could cost Trump control of both the House of Representatives and Senate. Democrats, who are trying to win competitive seats in farm-heavy states like Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska, are jumping on the high fertilizer prices as a new example of the affordability issue that continues to haunt Trump and Republica...
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