Fertilizer, fuel costs at historic highs for Montana ag producers (Post Register) 

Post Register published an article about how agricultural producers in the United States are paying 66 percent more for fertilizer this year than they did last year. In Montana, some ag producers are paying double or even triple for fertilizer this year compared to what they paid last year. Fertilizer costs have been climbing steadily since 2020 when COVID-19 interrupted global supply chains. This year, concerns about fertilizer cost and supply have only been amplified by Russia invading Ukraine at the end of February. International sanctions on Russia caused the price of oil and natural gas to skyrocket globally to all-time highs.  The cost is further exacerbated by Russia, and its ally Belarus, being significant suppliers of fertilizer globally. The U.S. imports 22.4 percent of its nitrogen-based fertilizer and 11.3 percent of its potassium-based fertilizer from Russia and Belarus, according to IFPRI. Fertilizer costs have impacted agricultural production all across the country, and Montana is no exception. (See IFPRI blog post, High fertilizer prices contribute to rising global food security concerns).