March 20, 2026
U.S. Seeking Fertilizer From Other Sources
The Trump administration is turning to other sources of fertilizer due to the ongoing shipping challenges caused by the Iran war. White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said the administration is looking to Venezuela and possibly Morocco. “We’ve established licenses for Venezuela to produce more fertilizer, calling it an insurance policy against disruption,” Hassett told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program. “I’m not saying we can eliminate what disruption there is so far, but we can minimize it.” Reuters also said fertilizer supplies have shrunk as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran cut off critical nitrogen fertilizer supplies from the Gulf to the world’s farmers, sending prices spiking by more than a third in recent weeks. Bloomberg said the U.S. currently has duties in place on Moroccan phosphate, and the duties are now under review. “Pleas from U.S. farm groups to remove those fees that ramped up after the war began in Iran,” Bloomberg reported.
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U.S. Shipping Law Waived as Gas Prices Soar
President Donald Trump issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, which was confirmed by the White House on Wednesday. Axios (AXE-ee-ohs) said the White House formally eliminated the requirements that only American ships can transport cargo between domestic ports. Officials are looking to ease access to fuel and supplies while the Strait of Hormuz (hor-MOOZ) remains bottled up by war in Iran. The White House is attempting to pull multiple levers as the Iran war pushes gasoline prices higher and restricts access to goods that farmers and other industries need to function. Market analysts say the move may only have up to a modest effect on most gasoline prices in the U.S., which now average approximately $3.84 per gallon according to AAA, up from roughly $3 before the conflict began. Oil prices rose higher on Wednesday as signs showed the war escalating further, with global benchmark Brent Crude was up over five dollars to about $109 per barrel.
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Dairy Checkoff Launches Online Grant Database for Farmers
The dairy checkoff’s new online tool is designed to help dairy farmers and their advisors more easily identify grants and funding opportunities for conservation and on-farm improvements. The Funding Opportunities Database, available through the Dairy Conservation Navigator, organizes federal, state, and private funding programs into a single searchable platform tailored to dairy operations. For many farmers, identifying funding programs can be one of the most challenging steps in pursuing new projects. Agricultural grants are spread across multiple federal agencies, state initiatives, and private organizations, each of which has different deadlines, priorities, and application processes. “Dairy farming creates many opportunities for improvement but also makes identifying the right funding sources more complicated,” said Bridgett Hilshey, senior director of environmental stewardship at Dairy Management, Inc. Go to dairyconservation.org/grants.
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NCGA Press Call: “Implications of Middle East Conflict”
During a press conference this week, the National Corn Growers Association called on Congress to pass legislation that will allow for the year-round sale of E15. Farmers and the ethanol industry are ready to deliver a solution to high prices at the pump, impacting all American drivers, and support farmers’ profitability. It’s a win-win and an easy solution for Congress to deliver. The group also called on U.S. fertilizer companies to ask the Trump administration to remove duties on phosphate imports from Morocco to help reduce fertilizer costs for farmers, a move that some reports say is already under consideration by officials. “With corn prices low and input costs high, Iowa’s corn growers are facing a fourth year of negative profitability, a situation made even more uncertain by the volatility in the Strait of Hormuz (hor-MOOZ) affecting global trade,” said Mark Mueller, the president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association.
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NFU Urges Swift Finalization of Poultry Tournament Rule
The National Farmers Union is unhappy that the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems rule proposed by the USDA’s Ag Marketing Service has been postponed. NFU President Rob Larew is disappointed that USDA is delaying the implementation of its rule from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027. “The rule is designed to increase fairness in poultry contracting and payment systems,” said Larew. “Growers have long raised concerns about the unfairness of tournament pricing and the amount and quality of information provided to them by poultry companies.” He also said the rule establishes guardrails on the tournament system, giving producers more certainty and transparency so they can operate their farm businesses successfully. Broiler chicken growers operate under a tournament-style system, where they must compete against their neighbors for the best price. NFU said growers cannot reasonably avoid certain practices that cause them harm.
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Celebrating National Biodiesel Day
Earlier this week, March 18th was National Biodiesel Day. Biodiesel has been an early driver of clean fuel growth in America and a consistent foundation for farm and food security throughout the 21st century. Clean Fuels Alliance America celebrated the industry’s resiliency and looked ahead to new opportunities for growth. “Biodiesel helped chart the course for today’s clean fuels market in heavy-duty transportation and opened the doors to applications in rail, marine, Bioheat fuel, and aviation,” said Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen (REE-Hagen). National Biodiesel Day commemorates the birthday of Rudolf Diesel, who invented the diesel engine and predicted the importance of biodiesel more than a century ago. “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time,” he said during a speech in 1912.
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