The rising cost of fertilizer and fuel prices is pushing some farmers to the brink

Sledge Taylor, 73, walks his corn fields just outside Como, Miss. on Friday, April 17, 2026. The corn stalks are currently between vegetative stages known as V3 and V5, normally when Taylor would be applying nitrogen fertilizer. But he said he may not do it this year because of the cost of fertilizer.

In the Mississippi Delta, a crucial agricultural region, farmers say their patience is wearing thin. Reeling from the effects of tariffs, they must now also navigate rising fertilizer and fuel costs.

(Image credit: Jay Marcano for NPR)