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PBS News Hour - Segments

Farmers warn of food price spike as war drives up fuel and fertilizer costs

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

4.11K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2026

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

About a third of the world's fertilizer supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and its effective closure is causing shortages and price spikes for fertilizer during the crucial spring planting season. That has led to fears of elevated food prices and lower crop yields. We hear from farmers about the impact on their crops and Geoff Bennett discusses the potential shortage with Caitlin Welsh. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Transcript

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0:00.0

Let's focus now on some of the economic effects of the war with Iran. About a third of the

0:05.5

world's fertilizer supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz. And its effective closure is causing

0:11.2

shortages and price spikes for fertilizer during the crucial spring planting season. That has

0:16.7

led to fears of both elevated food prices and lower crop yields across the globe.

0:22.3

This morning, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told PBS News Liz Landers that, quote,

0:27.4

everything was on the table to fix the problem for American farmers.

0:31.1

Clearly this, I think we're at 36 days for the conflict has elevated the issue of fertilizer and how important it is for

0:39.3

American farmers and frankly for our food supply. The good news is that about 80% of our farmers

0:44.4

actually last fall locked in their fertilizers. So as we're moving into planting season,

0:49.3

it's only about 20 to 25% of our farmers that didn't lock that in. We are working directly to ensure that we can get them what they need and it won't bankrupt

0:59.0

them.

1:00.0

Now, despite those numbers, farmers we spoke with say they fear these cost increases could put them

1:05.0

over the edge.

1:06.0

Here's some of what they told us.

1:08.0

My name is Russell Baining.

1:10.0

My family and I farm right south of San Antonio. what they told us. My name is Russell Bainting.

1:10.9

My family and I farm right south of San Antonio.

1:14.6

We're buying nitrogen right now.

1:16.3

And it's about 40% higher than it was, you know, two or three months ago before the conflict.

1:25.0

Let's just say that.

1:26.0

I'm Lance Lillebridge from Benton County, Iowa. We booked most of our fertilizer before the conflict, let's just say that. I'm Lance Lillebridge from Benton County, Iowa. We

1:29.4

booked most of our fertilizer before the conflict in Iran. However, some of it we did not, because it was

...

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