The Timing of the Iran War Couldn’t be Worse for Texas Farmers… and Your Food

The timing of the Iran war couldn't be worse for Texas farmers, who are facing a perfect storm of skyrocketing input costs—especially for diesel and nitrogen fertilizer—just as they're entering peak planting season. James Foster, a third-generation farmer and Texas Farm Bureau board member, reveals that fertilizer prices have surged over 30% since the conflict began, forcing him to spend an extra $15,000 on a single application for his 1,100-acre corn crop. With only 19% of Southern farmers having pre-booked fertilizer, most are now at the mercy of volatile global markets. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that 94% of farmers report their financial situation has worsened or stayed the same, and an accountant shared that six of his clients are already in default—echoing the farm crisis of the 1980s. Despite being price takers, farmers receive less than six cents of every dollar spent on food, while the cost of production has skyrocketed. The crisis extends beyond agriculture: a new threat from the New World screwworm fly, which can burrow into living tissue and has already caused 3,000 human cases in Mexico, is now just 60 miles from Texas, threatening a $30 billion beef industry and potentially disrupting food supply chains. Yet, despite the strain, farmers remain resilient—driven by passion, national security concerns, and the belief that help will come, possibly in the form of another $10–13 billion bailout.