The hidden cost behind rising food prices

Every Ohio family has watched the total climb at the grocery store and wondered why it keeps happening. Most folks look at the items on the shelf for answers, but the problem starts long before food ever gets there.

Ohio farmers were the first to feel the impact of rising costs, driven in large part by the dramatic spike in fertilizer prices. In tough economic times, many consumers can cut back on certain items, but farmers don’t have that option; fertilizer is the essential tool that grows the crops that feed this country and the world. When that input got more expensive, farmers absorbed the hit. And eventually, that shock moved through the entire supply chain.

If we really want to bring prices down for farmers and for families buying food, we have to talk about why costs keep climbing. One big reason is this: a flaw in federal trade rules lets a few companies push out their competition and then turn around and raise their prices. This has allowed some companies to ask Washington, D.C., to slap huge fees on imported fertilizer. Not because anyone cheated, but because it gives them a competitive edge. The system that’s supposed to protect America from unfair foreign trade is being misused, hurting the very people who grow our food.

Those fees, officially known as countervailing duties, have caused real harm. Fertilizer prices have surged so high that many farmers are facing a third straight year of negative returns, which is an unsustainable financial path. Many in the agriculture industry are now calling this price hike the “Biden farm tax” on fertilizer. But here’s the kicker: it’s not a tax anyone actually voted for, but it’s having a similar negative effect: fewer options, higher costs, and a heavy burden on family farms.

As a result, American farmers are forced to compete globally with one hand tied behind their backs. Left with little to no choice but to pay inflated prices to grow corn, all while competitors in Brazil and China are expanding their production and securing broader market share because they have abundant access to affordable fertilizer.

Ohio has a real opportunity to lead the fix and set things right, and farmers are calling upon Senator Bernie Moreno to do just that.

Senator Moreno has been vocal about strengthening our state’s economic footing. He understands that businesses cannot thrive when government red tape drives up the cost of doing business. Ohio farmers need Senator Moreno to seize this opportunity and shine a spotlight on the struggle this issue is creating for farmers. His leadership is essential to ensure policymakers in Washington understand this isn’t just a “farm issue,” but a consumer one too.

A federal review of countervailing duties on fertilizer made with phosphate in 2026 offers farmers a real chance to compete globally, costs taxpayers nothing, and eliminates bureaucracy. Most importantly, solving this issue means allowing farmers to buy fertilizer at a fair price again, which helps keep food prices affordable for everyone.

Ohio farmers are tough, but we face significant challenges when the price of an essential input tool is pushed sky-high for no good reason. Removing these duties is common sense.

If federal leaders are serious about lowering grocery bills, it’s time to tear up the Biden farm tax and let Ohio farmers do what they do best: feed the world.