American farmers struggle with higher prices from Iran war, tariffs: Double whammy

American farmers, already dealt stiff blows from tariff costs, are struggling to survive as the war in Iran sends fertilizer, feed and energy prices sky-high – threatening to push grocery prices even higher.Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has massively disrupted global oil supplies – but the vital maritime route is also responsible for transporting roughly a third of the world’s fertilizer, according to UN Trade and Development, the United Nations body that deals with international commerce.The price of nitrogen, the main component of synthetic fertilizers, is up 23.6% over the past year, according to February’s Producer Price Index, the most recently available government data.“Farmers have been underwater,” Harriet Behar, a lifelong farmer based in Wisconsin and member of the Organic Farmers Association, told The Post on Wednesday.Between the war and President Trump’s tariffs, farmers are facing a “double whammy,” she added.Canceled soybean orders from China after Trump slapped the country with steep tariffs have forced farmers to lay off workers or shut down their businesses altogether, while other import taxes have made machinery and fertilizer more expensive.“The cost of producing the crops is higher than the return,” Behar said.“What we’re really seeing out here in farm country is a lot of farmers are saying, ‘I don’t even know if I’m gonna plant a crop this year … and if this continues, I’m done.’”Americans could soon see higher prices on shorter-season crops that rely on synthetic fertilizer – mostly produce like lettuce and tomatoes, according to Behar.She said corn, which needs nitrogen-based fertilizer to grow well, will also be hit hard – and since corn-based feed is used to nourish livestock, consumers could see prices for beef and veal climb even higher at the grocery store.Prices for beef and veal at stores are already 14.4% higher than last year, according to February’s Consumer Price Index, as ...