Analysts question the cost of China deploying ‘fertiliser diplomacy’ and boosting soybean purchases ahead of the Trump-Xi summit
6-MIN READ6-MINKhushboo Razdanin WashingtonPublished: 3:11am, 11 Apr 2026Jeff Winton, a dairy farmer in upstate New York who grows much of the feed for his own cattle, stopped planting corn in 2022 when fertiliser prices spiked. “We just couldn’t afford the input costs,” he recalled.
“Back then it was tough, but this time it’s even worse,” Winton said. “Everything’s stacked against us right now – prices, labour, healthcare – and now fertiliser costs are through the roof. Farmers across the country are scared.” He lamented: “It’s literally a perfect storm.”
