---
title: What the heck is happening with fertilizer?
description: With prices taking off, farmers are using less. That’s bad.
---

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# [What the heck is happening with fertilizer?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/05032022-fertilizer)

 Written by [Jacob Cohen](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/jacob-cohen) | May 3, 2022 8:30:27 AM

Unless you’re a farmer, the state of global fertilizer markets might not mean much. But it’s one of the world’s most urgent crises, and you’ll probably feel it.

#### **What’s going on?**

Globally, farmers rely on fertilizer. Unfortunately, per [*Bloomberg*](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-01/farmers-are-struggling-to-keep-up-food-supply-as-fertilizer-prices-surge?srnd=premium&sref=3Ac2yX40), the world is experiencing a major shortage as a result of:

- **Pandemic-related** supply chain disruptions
- **China **stockpiling key ingredients
- **The Russia-Ukraine war **impeding  ~⅕ of global nutrient exports

So, with less fertilizer to go around and prices taking off, farmers are trimming their use of it. Here’s why that’s bad:

- **In Brazil, **a 20% reduction in potash use could decrease soybean yields by 14%
- **In Costa Rica, **if farmers apply just ⅓ less fertilizer, coffee yields could drop 15%
- **In West Africa, **reduced use is expected to cut rice and corn yields by ⅓

Global food prices went up 13% in March, and you can expect them to rise further if the fertilizer supply doesn’t improve.

**One industry** banking off the fertilizer shortage is good, old-fashioned [manure](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-manure-is-hot-commodity-amid-commercial-fertilizer-shortage-2022-04-06/). Some sellers are sold out till 2023, and prices in Nebraska have nearly doubled.

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/05032022-fertilizer)

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