Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
Natural gas prices, the main input for fertilizers, increased by up to 50%, driving up the cost of the sector (Agrolatam, 2026).
Prices for nitrogen fertilizers in the US market have risen by more than 30% in recent weeks (Agrolatam, 2026).
The price of urea in the United States increased by 34% before the planting season (Agrolatam, 2026).
Soybean oil prices rose up to 3.4% in Chicago, reaching 69.68 cents per pound — the highest level since late 2022 — driven by the Iran conflict and new US biofuel blending mandates that materially increase biomass-based diesel demand for 2026 (Hirtzer, Bloomberg Línea, 2026).
Brazil's soybean production was revised down to 179 million tonnes (from 180M) due to excessive rainfall in northern and central producing states; Brazil's competitive discount makes it unlikely China will purchase an additional 8 million tonnes of soybeans from the US (Darragh & Bhanu, Kpler, 2026).
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell more than 95% (from over 100 vessels per day to fewer than 10), disrupting flows of oil, LNG and fertilizers essential for global agricultural production (UNCTAD, 2026).
45 million people could be pushed into acute hunger if the Iran conflict persists, as the poorest households spend between 50% and 70% of their income on food
0% is the temporary tariff applied to the import of fertilizers to lower agricultural production costs in Brazil (Agrolatam, 2026).
Brazil will allocate $2.9 billion to a new plan to reduce the impact of rising fertilizer prices on agriculture (Agrolatam, 2026).
The approximate volume of the urea market in Argentina is 2,200,000 tons, with a significant part dependent on imports (La Nación, 2026).
