SPRING PLANTING CONCERNS

With spring planting ramps up, a new survey indicates farmers are worried about the skyrocketing cost of fertilizer. The American Farm Bureau Federation survey shows that that 70 percent of respondents say fertilizer is so expensive that they will not be able to buy all the fertilizer they need. The conflict in the Middle East sent fertilizer and fuel prices soaring. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is keeping fertilizer supplies and crude oil from reaching global markets. Since the escalation of tensions in the Middle East, nitrogen fertilizer prices have risen more than 30 percent, while combined fuel and fertilizer costs have increased roughly 20 to 40 percent.