Fertilizer costs jump about 70%; Yadkin County farmers reassess planting plans

Bryan Cave, Cooperative Extension Director for Yadkin County, told a joint meeting of the Board of Commissioners and the Planning Board on April 14 that “nitrogen costs have gone up about 70% in the first quarter of this year,” and that roughly 40% of nitrogen imports transit the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint affected by current Middle East conflicts. He said many fertilizer products are oil‑derivatives and that shipping disruptions and overseas supply issues — including dependence on Chinese shipments for other agricultural chemicals — are forcing farmers to reconsider what crops and inputs to use this season.

Cave said the county’s farmers are assessing options amid those cost pressures and a worsening moisture outlook. “A lot of the County's farmers are really thinking about what they should plant and what inputs they should use this year,” he said. Extension staff warned that, absent higher commodity prices or emergency assistance, government payments may be the only way some farms stay profitable this year.

County staff and Extension urged caution about equipment purchases: Cave said new farm equipment sales are lagging as operators conserve capital. He and other presenters noted that feed supply constraints affect poultry integrators because enough local feed cannot be grown, requiring imports. The remarks were delivered during the agricultural update portion of the joint meeting and were framed as observations and local consequences of national and international market shifts.