Farm Bill Expires, What is Going on With Sulphur?

The 2018 Farm Bill has officially expired, putting some agricultural programs on hold, including the Conservation Reserve Program. USDA says it cannot approve new CRP contracts without congressional action. Existing contracts can continue, but new acreage cannot be enrolled until lawmakers restore the program's authority. Other programs, including dairy indemnity payments and some farm commodity loan programs, are also facing funding or authorization issues.

Sulfur supply has been a growing concern as China holds back exports, creating uncertainty for U.S. farmers planning ahead for the 2027 spring planting season. StoneX Vice President of Fertilizer Josh Linville explains the potential impact.

“The one of the biggest surprises I've seen this year in 2026 is that the ammonium sulfate and other sulfur-based fertilizer products came out as cheap as they did this summer. Had a lot of people saying, "Hey, you talked about it's being tight and it's this and it's that. Why did it come out so cheap? I don't know. Get your hands on it because trade horror moves. We, you know, thing you research, everything you look at, you talk to folks in the industry, and they say half the world's tradable supply comes from the Strait of Hormuz. Russia's blocked their sulfur exports because of everything going around the world. That's another 17 percent. A lot of the world's sulfur supply is gone. That impacts sulfur-based fertilizers. Major input for phosphate production. Today's sulfur cost on producing a ton of DAP in the U.S. is more than what most of 2022 and 2023 cost for. “

StoneX’s Josh Linville.