By Brianna Smith and Ty Higgins

As farmers wrap up the 2025 season and begin planning for 2026, many are facing a familiar challenge: input costs are climbing while crop prices remain stagnant. Fertilizer prices, which hit record highs in 2022, fell for a few years but are on the rise again. Phosphate prices have increased nearly 36% since January, and potash is up more than 20%. Nitrogen markets remain volatile, with prices fluctuating week to week in response to global supply and energy costs.

For many farmers, margins this year are tight. Global trade disruptions, rising natural gas prices, and ongoing conflicts in regions like Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East continue to keep fertilizer costs elevated. The result is a financial squeeze that has producers rethinking how they manag

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