The ongoing Iran war is causing financial difficulties for Minnesota farmers, with the addition of war in the Middle East and tariffs affecting the fertilizer market. The CEO of ag co-op CHS, Jay Debertin, said that all farmers will feel an impact if the fertilizer industry does not stabilize by summer. The conflict has also endangered a major trade route for fertilizer ingredients, with Iran threatening ships carrying natural gas and other fertilizer materials. This has caused the price of urea fertilizer to rise significantly since the conflict’s start in February. The financial impact on farmers is expected to increase if the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran remains a target during the ongoing war, potentially leading to further increases in fertilizer prices. The U.S. needs to take a different approach to international trade, according to Debertins and Thomas Halverson, CEO of agricultural lender CoBank. Prior to the Iran war, prices of crops such as corn and soybeans have decreased in recent years.