Andy Corriher examines his wheat crop on his farm in China Grove, North Carolina, on April 10, 2026 (Grant Baldwin) – Grant Baldwin/AFP/AFP
Andy Corriher, a Donald Trump supporter, is witnessing how the war in the Middle East is driving up costs and potentially reducing his crop yield on his farm in the southeastern United States.
“We were hit at the worst possible time. We need fertilizers, the prices of which are skyrocketing and availability is decreasing,” said the 47-year-old farmer to AFP, standing on the edge of a field of bright green wheat.
In response to Israeli-American airstrikes on its soil, Tehran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime route for oil and fertilizer trade, causing prices to soar.
These are two major expenses for farmers, who are largely loyal to the ruling Republican party in the United States.
In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump carried 78% of the agricultural-dependent counties, according to Investigate Midwest.
The Republican blames the price surge on the “fertilizer monopoly” and declared, “American farmers, we are with you!”
Based in China Grove, North Carolina, Andy Corriher is still waiting for the liquid nitrogen fertilizer he ordered several weeks ago. The seller “says they still don’t know when they can deliver to me.”
According to him, the price has increased by at least 40% since the war. The farmer has decided to use one-third less, risking compromising the yield.
– “Upsetting” –
About fifty kilometers away, Russell Hedrick had to buy most of his fertilizer after the price surge.
“Many American farmers don’t have enough space to stockpile,” said the forty-something, mixing products to feed his 400 hectares of soybeans and cereals.
He has decided to use the “bare minimum” of fertilizer and potentially add more later.
According to him, even before the war, costs were such that “farmers had to play chemists Breaking Bad-style with fertilizers to maximize yields.”
On another farm in North Carolina, Derrick Austin struggles to digest remarks from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
She emphasized that 80% of American farmers were able to purchase the necessary fertilizer before the conflict.
“It took my breath away,” described the 55-year-old man, who is among the remaining 20%.
He called his supplier as soon as he learned of the Strait of Hormuz closure and managed to negotiate dozens of tons of nitrogen fertilizer at the previous price “just to be able to feed my wheat. It was upsetting.”
– “Collateral damage” –
American agriculture “has been in recession for two years” with declining incomes, recalls Chad Hart, a sector specialist at the University of Iowa in the rural central U.S. state.
The conflict will worsen the situation, but many farmers have managed to mitigate the damage and spread fertilizer without astronomical costs, adds the professor.
The 2027 harvest will be “more of a cause for concern” if the conflict persists, he believes.
“It’s as if we haven’t really thought through all the consequences (of the war) for Americans,” muses Andy Corriher, for whom “everyone seems to be suffering” from the soaring fuel prices.
The farmer, who supported Donald Trump, feels that these repercussions have been “neglected in a way, considered as collateral damage.”
Asked about his perception of the president, Derrick Austin said he is “beginning to question some of his reasoning.” The Republican government “is still better than some alternatives,” he adds.
“He is a human like us. I think he makes good decisions, I also think he makes mistakes,” notes Russell Hedrick, who cast three Trump ballots (in 2016, 2020, and 2024).
