Trending Now - Midwest Soybean Farmers Face Mounting Challenges From Tariffs and Conflict

WHO:

AP News - Doug Bartek, a fifth-generation farmer and chairman of the Nebraska Soybean Association.

AP News - Justin Sherlock, a soybean farmer and president of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association.

AP News - Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University.

AP News - Joana Colussi, research assistant professor in the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University.

AP News - Paul Mitchell, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

AP News - Mike Cerny, a soybean and winter wheat corn farmer in Sharon, Wisconsin.

AP News - Dave Walton, a corn, soybean, and hay farmer in Iowa and vice president of the American Soybean Association.

AP News - Seth Goldstein, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar.

AP News - Chris Gould, a corn and soybean farmer in Maple Park, Illinois.

AP News - Joseph Glauber, former chief economist at the Department of Agriculture.

WHAT:

AP News - Farmers are facing a liquidity cash crunch due to high input costs and low commodity prices, leading to concerns about negative margins.

AP News - The price of urea remains elevated due to ongoing impacts of the Iran war, despite the ceasefire.

AP News - The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7, 2026, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but traffic remained slowed amid ongoing disagreements.

AP News - The number of farms in the U.S. has shrunk over time, and consolidation in farming is a long-term trend.

AP News - The war in Iran has caused gasoline and diesel prices to surge, causing further headaches for farmers.

AP News - Facilities in the Middle East that are critical for exporting chemicals, oil, and other commodities were damaged or destroyed during the war, and it will take time for supply chains to recover.

AP News - In a survey of 400 farmers conducted by researchers at the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture in late March 2026, almost half said their farm operation is financially worse off than it was in 2025.

AP News - Operating costs for soybean production are projected to increase again in 2026, continuing a trend of elevated costs since 2020.

AP News - Midwest crop land values have increased, contributing to financial strain on farmers who rent land.

AP News - In a survey conducted in late March 2026, almost half of the 400 farmers reported that their farm operation is financially worse off than it was in 2025.

AP News - Farmers lost almost $75 per harvested acre of soybeans in the 2025 crop, according to the American Soybean Association.

AP News - The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7, 2026, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but traffic remained slowed amid ongoing disagreements.

AP News - The price of urea remains elevated due to the ongoing impacts of the Iran war, despite the ceasefire.

AP News - Farmers' overall production expenses, including seed and pesticide, have increased over time, with operating costs for soybean production projected to increase again in 2026.

AP News - The price of urea, the most widely traded nitrogen fertilizer, has skyrocketed due to shipping disruptions caused by the Iran war.

AP News - In a survey conducted in late March 2026, almost half of the 400 farmers surveyed reported that their farm operation is financially worse off than it was in 2025.

AP News - Farm bankruptcies continued to climb in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

AP News - Midwest soybean farmers are facing high costs of fuel, equipment, and fertilizer, compounded by tariffs and the Iran war.

AP News - Farmers lost almost $75 per harvested acre of soybeans in the 2025 crop, according to the American Soybean Association.

AP News - The U.S. and China reached a deal in late 2025 for China to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans by January and at least 25 million metric tons annually for the next three years.

AP News - The Trump administration rolled out a $12 billion temporary aid package in December 2025 to boost farmers affected by the trade war.

AP News - A ceasefire deal announced on April 7, 2026, raised hope for alleviating shipping bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz.

WHERE:

AP News - Wahoo, Nebraska, where Doug Bartek's 2,000-acre farm is located.

AP News - The Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route affected by the Iran war.

AP News - Sharon, Wisconsin, where Mike Cerny farms.

AP News - Maple Park, Illinois, where Chris Gould farms.

WHEN:

AP News - The Iran war began on February 28, 2026.

AP News - The ceasefire deal was announced on April 7, 2026.

AP News - Tariffs were levied by Trump in April 2025.

AP News - A survey of 400 farmers was conducted in late March 2026.

WHY:

AP News - Farmers are very concerned about negative margins driven by low prices and high costs.

AP News - Farmers are facing a liquidity cash crunch due to high input costs and low commodity prices, leading to concerns about negative margins.

AP News - The high costs of inputs, low soybean prices, and tariffs from the trade war with China are causing financial strain on farmers.

AP News - The global supply glut of soybeans, driven in part by Brazil, has led to persistently low prices for U.S. soybean farmers.

HOW:

AP News - Many Midwest farmers bought their fertilizer well in advance of the spring planting season, but some farmers who didn’t buy early are facing elevated prices.

AP News - Farmers are facing a liquidity cash crunch due to high input costs and low commodity prices.

AP News - Many farmers bought fertilizer in advance of the planting season to avoid high prices, but some could not afford to do so.

(UPDATED April 14, 2026 05:40 UTC)

Farmers are grappling with a liquidity cash crunch due to high input costs and low commodity prices, raising concerns about negative margins. The ongoing war in Iran has led to surging gasoline and diesel prices, further complicating the situation for farmers, while the price of urea remains high despite a two-week ceasefire that began on Tuesday. A recent survey revealed that nearly half of the 400 farmers questioned feel their operations are financially worse off than they were in 2025, highlighting the long-term trend of consolidation in U.S. farming.

(UPDATED April 14, 2026 04:01 UTC)

Operating costs for soybean production are set to rise again in 2026, continuing a trend that has strained farmers since 2020, with nearly half of those surveyed in late March reporting their financial situation has worsened compared to 2025. In 2025, farmers lost almost $75 per harvested acre of soybeans, and many are now grappling with high input costs and low commodity prices, leading to concerns about negative margins. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but traffic remains slow as the effects of the ongoing conflict continue to impact prices, including elevated urea costs.

(UPDATED April 13, 2026 23:13 UTC)

Farmers are facing increasing production expenses, with operating costs for soybean production expected to rise again in 2026, while the price of urea, the most widely traded nitrogen fertilizer, has surged due to shipping disruptions linked to the Iran war. A survey conducted in late March revealed that nearly half of the 400 farmers questioned reported their financial situation is worse than in 2025, and farm bankruptcies have continued to rise according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Many Midwest farmers secured their fertilizer early for the spring planting season, but those who waited are now dealing with significantly higher prices.

(UPDATED April 13, 2026 21:15 UTC)

Midwest soybean farmers are grappling with soaring costs for fuel, equipment, and fertilizer, alongside the impacts of tariffs and the ongoing Iran war, which began February 28th. A recent survey revealed that farmers lost nearly $75 per harvested acre of soybeans in 2025, and while a ceasefire deal announced on Tuesday, has raised hopes for easing shipping bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz, many farmers are still facing a cash crunch due to high input costs and persistently low prices. In response to these challenges, the Trump administration introduced a $12 billion temporary aid package in December 20th25 to support farmers affected by the trade war with China.