March 18, 2026

Implications of the Middle East Conflict on U.S. Corn Farmers

During a press briefing today, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) called on Congress to pass legislation that will allow for the year-round sale of fuels with 15% ethanol blends, often called E15. Farmers and the ethanol industry are ready to deliver a solution to high prices at the pump impacting all U.S. drivers and support farmers’ profitability. It’s a win-win and an easy solution for Congress to deliver.

The group also called on U.S. fertilizer companies to ask the Trump administration to remove duties on phosphate imports from Morocco to help reduce fertilizer costs for farmers.

“With corn prices low and input costs high, Iowa’s corn growers are facing a fourth year of negative profitability—a situation made even more uncertain by the volatility in the Strait of Hormuz affecting global trade,” said Mark Mueller, Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President and Waverly farmer. “To protect our rural economy, we urge Congress to pass nationwide, year-round E15 immediately and call on continued exploration into the fertilizer pricing issues unfairly impacting farmers.”

NCGA, ICGA and fellow state corn grower organizations have spent years pushing for passage of legislation that would remove an obsolete clause in the Clean Air Act that prohibits the sale of E15 during the summer months. Farmers have come close to securing passage of the legislation twice in recent months only to be thwarted before action was taken.

“ICGA has been, and will continue to be, extremely outspoken about the need for passage of nationwide, year-round E15 and consolidation within the fertilizer industry,” said Mueller. “We have come close to achieving wins on both issues, but we call on Congress for action to officially get them across the finish line. Iowa corn farmers need and deserve the stability that comes with these wins—we cannot afford to slip back into the 1980s.”