Survey: U.S. farmers can’t afford fertilizer
•April 22, 2026•
by Tammie Sloup
FarmWeek
A nationwide survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation shows 70% of respondents cannot afford to purchase enough fertilizer to get them through the year. More than 5,700 farmers from every state and Puerto Rico responded to the survey, which was conducted April 3rd through 11th. In Illinois, more than 250 farmers responded. The analysis reveals that almost eight in 10 farmers in the southern US say they can’t afford all needed supplies this year, followed by the Northeast and West at 69% and 66%, respectively, compared to 48% of the farmers in the Midwest.
Just 19% of farmers in the South prebooked fertilizer purchases in advance of planting season. In the Northeast, only 30% of farmers prebooked, followed by 31% in the West, and 67% in the Midwest. Even with higher pre-booking rates, almost one in three Midwestern farmers still report entering the season without securing all their fertilizer needs. “The results provide an eye-opening look at the realities farmers are facing today,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said during a media call on April 14th. “We’ve been hearing a lot of speculation in Washington, D.C., and beyond about the percentage of farmers who have preordered their fertilizers. I think that you’ll be surprised by the degree to which it varies between regions.”