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Farmer says fertilizer price solution needed soon

An eastern Iowa farmer says fertilizer price relief is needed sooner rather than later.

Lance Lillibridge of Vinton says the situation is dire.

“The check engine light is on and the engine is going to blow. We’ve got do something about it. We don’t have two years to do something about it. We’ve got 60 days.”

He tells Brownfield fertilizer prices have been climbing for years and 2026 levels have put even more pressure on producers.

“We’re being extracted from by these companies that have profits that are just unbelievable, they are higher than tech companies,” he said. “All at the cost of the American farmer. You take out agriculture in America, you’re going to take out America.”

Lillibridge says the US needs to invest in a large number of small production facilities to increase competition.

“We need these smaller operations just like in the beef packing industry where we needed small operations to continue to run rather than a few big ones.”

He says he’s concerned about the rising number of farm bankruptcies in the country.