Recent policy changes are providing hope for farmers grappling with high fertilizer costs, particularly for phosphate. The removal of tariffs on phosphate imports is expected to ease pricing, though global demand remains high.
“We’re seeing that already,” says Ben Pratt, vice president of public affairs at The Mosaic Company, adding that potash prices, supplied largely by Canada, are already affordable for growers.
The federal government’s recent decision to include phosphorus and potassium on the critical minerals list is also seen as helpful. For the 2026 growing season, growers face tight margins, prompting a careful look at input purchases, especially since the big 2025 harvest heavily depleted soil nutrients.
“Growers, if they want to achieve the same kinds of yields as they did in 2025, they’re going to need to apply nutrients,” Pratt says.
To help maximize profitability, farmers are increasingly exploring biological solutions to enhance their Return on Fertilizer Investment. Mosaic’s relatively new biosciences business offers products like PowerCoat and BioPath to boost nutrient use efficiency or help more of the applied nutrients find their way into the plants.
Ross Bender, director of product development and a Wisconsin farmer, shares his personal experience.
“The margins on my farm are tight. And what I’m trying to think about is how I can make sure that I’m supplying the crop with the nutrition it needs within the budget that I have?”
Bender is exploring how biological tools can enhance the availability of nutrients on his farm to get more value out of that fertilizer. While these new biological tools are proving effective, the company emphasized that they are not a replacement for traditional fertilizers, but rather a valuable complement to a comprehensive nutrient program.
