Vinton, Iowa — March 28, 2026 / 8:44 PM EDT / CBS News
Lance Lillibridge of Vinton, Iowa, who has farmed his whole life, says he’s worried about this year’s spring planting. “It couldn’t have come at a worst time,” Lillibridge told CBS News of the Iran war.
The conflict has pushed diesel and fertilizer prices sharply higher, piling onto an already struggling industry. Oxford Economics finds ammonia and urea — two key fertilizer ingredients — are up roughly 20% and 50%, respectively, since the start of the war. AAA reports diesel is up 43.5%.
“This situation is not driven by either the person producing the food or the person buying it,” said Scott Marlow, an agricultural policy expert and former deputy administrator of farm programs at the USDA Farm Service Agency. “And it will have significant ramifications for both those who produce our food, and for those who eat it.”
Higher oil and gas prices have also weighed on major stock indexes, and could show up in grocery bills. “It really impacts the cost of every step of the process, all the way from seed, all the way through to finished product, which affects the price when it gets to your grocery store,” Marlow said.
Farmers had hoped to rebound after a tough year: U.S. farm bankruptcies rose again in 2025, with the American Farm Bureau Federation reporting a 46% increase from 2024. Lillibridge says his own costs have risen about 25% since last year and fears further losses will push the next generation away from farming. “If our kids see us struggling out here, why would they want to take it on?” he asked.
Many growers now face hard choices as input costs climb and markets remain uncertain, leaving both producers and consumers vulnerable to longer-term fallout from global instability.