Baja California state legislator Adrián Humberto Valle Ballesteros urged the state Agriculture Secretariat (SADER) on April 9 to disclose its emergency programs for urea fertilizer imports, warning that the ongoing conflict with Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are threatening supply lines at a critical moment for Mexicali Valley growers.
The motion passed unanimously in the state congress. Valle Ballesteros pointed to tightening global urea supply chains as producers cut or suspend operations near the Persian Gulf. Natural gas can represent more than 70% of urea production costs, and the war has disrupted strategic transport routes through the strait, where a significant share of the world’s petroleum, gas, and raw materials for fertilizer production passes.
Why Urea Matters to the Mexicali Valley
Mexico relies heavily on imported urea and ammonia to meet domestic demand. The spring-summer 2026 agricultural import window is now open, and Mexicali Valley farmers need to secure fertilizer supplies to plant on schedule. The valley is one of Baja California’s most productive agricultural zones, growing wheat, cotton, alfalfa, and vegetables for both local markets and cross-border trade with the United States.
Rising urea prices directly increase farming costs. When those costs climb, they flow through to produce prices at markets across the region. Mexico has faced this pattern before: in 2021 and 2022, global fertilizer price spikes driven by supply chain disruptions pushed food costs higher nationwide.
Global Pressures Compound the Problem
The timing is particularly difficult. In the United States, advocacy group Farm Action sent a letter to Congress on March 30 warning that four firms control over 80% of nitrogen fertilizer production, making supply disruptions more severe. On the trade front, most fertilizers, including urea, were exempted from new U.S. import tariffs that took effect in February 2026. Products qualifying under the USMCA free trade agreement also remain tariff-free, which helps keep cross-border agricultural trade flowing.
Still, Valle Ballesteros wants to know what Baja California’s agriculture officials are doing to protect local farmers from the global squeeze. His motion specifically asks SADER to report on any emergency import programs, existing fertilizer quotas, and contingency plans to ensure the spring-summer planting cycle is not disrupted.
The Mexicali Valley sits just south of the U.S. border, and its agricultural output supplies grocery stores and restaurants across the broader Mexicali and Calexico corridor. Any reduction in planting or crop yields could push food prices higher on both sides of the border in the months ahead.
The story was first reported by Multimedios on April 9, 2026.