Farmers Were Already Hurting. The Iran War Made It Worse.

Agricultural producers are facing many problems squeezing their profit margins, including pressure from policies coming out of Washington.

Soybean farmer.

Farmers are being squeezed by the high costs of fertilizer and fuel driven by the Iran War. Charlie Riedel/AP

Farmers are struggling. And while the Trump administration has insisted inflation woes will end when the war with Iran does, farmers and agricultural experts know it won’t be that simple.

Increased costs for energy and fertilizer are compounding a host of issues for farmers already running thin business margins.

There are tariffs on imported metals integral to the U.S. food production system. Farmers have been hit with reduced water runoff in California and bad weather conditions in Brazil. Food producers are grappling with small beef herds, pests and recovery from avian influenza.