Letter to the editor: Rouzer's war-mongering punishes NC farmers

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 05.07.26

Farming is the economic backbone of North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District. Its 4,208 farms anchor the regional economy and generate nearly $4 billion in sales. Our district’s 6,427 farmers just got hit with a double whammy thanks to Representative David Rouzer.

Rouzer has wanted war with Iran for years. In 2024 he said, “firing off a missile here or there” wasn’t enough. “I think it needs to be substantial in a way that Iran really feels it.” In 2025, Rouzer applauded Trump’s 12-day bombing of Iran. This year, he thanked Trump for breaking off ongoing negotiations and launching a sneak attack against Iran.

One-fifth of the world’s oil and one-third of the world’s fertilizer travels through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s now closed because of the war Rouzer wanted. Farm diesel prices surged 46%. Fertilizer prices soared 40%. Southern farmers have been hit hardest — only 19% buy fertilizer in advance, compared to 67% in the Midwest. District 7’s farms require even more fertilizer because of their sandy soil.

Hickory’s Russell Hedrick holds the state record for soybean yield and the world dryland corn yield record. Hedrick told AgFunderNews: “Most of the farmers I spoke with are not secured for their spring fertilizer. I think you will see a massive decline in both yield and acres. Some farmers are abandoning leases.”

In his April 19 Newsletter, Rouzer belatedly acknowledged that “Much of the world’s fertilizer supply travels through the Strait of Hormuz,” and said its closure “created a supply chain crunch for growers here in the U.S.”

Rouzer tried to deflect blame by claiming that foreigners might “buy up our fertilizer supply.” Not so fast, Dave. Foreigners didn’t make NC farmers pay through the nose for gas and fertilizer — you did that with your needless war.

If Rouzer cared about farmers, he would retire. You can help with that. Send Kimberly Hardy to Congress in November.

Michael Maisel

Sunset Beach