Eager for a break, farmers don't expect much relief after the Iran peace deal

American farmers were already grappling with high fertilizer and diesel prices before the closure of the Strait of Hormuz created a further spike. Kirk Siegler/NPR hide caption toggle caption Kirk Siegler/NPR Fertilizer prices are finally falling this week after news of a tentative peace deal with Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But for Ryan Poe, a fifth generation wheat farmer in Hartline, Wash., the headlines need a qualifier. "Maybe a global supplier of fertilizer sees that kind of instant price change," Poe says. "But for me on the farm there's been no change in fertilizer price." Poe already bought most of his fertilizer for the year. And this week he's putting what's left of it on the fields he needs to keep clear of weeds before he plants in the fall. Poe figures he spent roughly 23% more on fertilizer this spring than before the war. "It's the sticker shock of, okay, yeah this is definitely higher than last year," Poe says. Farmers are equally eager for relief from high diesel prices. But an updated U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities forecast last Thursday predicts energy and fertilizer prices won't go down substantially until 2027, putting the heartland in a further bind. Before the turmoil in the Middle East, Poe was already dealing with flat wheat prices and rising equipment costs due to inflation and President Trump's second trade war in 10 years. It's a pile-on. "It's just not a fun time to be in ag," Poe says. …