How Growers Can Protect Profits and Stay Ahead of Tariffs and Supply Chain Disruptions

1. Why Supply Chain Disruption is Hitting Growers Hard

Growers across the country are concerned with the impact of tariffs and how global tensions will impact the price and availability of supplies. Are you prepared for rapid changes in the price of fertilizer? Do you have a plan for if your materials are held up in customs for weeks? While tight margins and unpredictable conditions are nothing new to the horticulture industry, the importance of proactive planning and agility is once again at the forefront of the horticulture industry. With the right systems in place, these struggles don’t have to have as negative an impact on operations. Let’s explore how SilverLeaf, built on Dynamics 365 Business Central, can help growers respond more rapidly, make data-driven decisions, and build long-term resiliency in a volatile business landscape.

2. Understanding the Impact of Tariffs on Growers Today

In May 2025, the United States and China agreed to a 90-day delay with a reduction of tariffs from 145% to 30%. Notably for the agriculture industry, fertilizer-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Australia have all postponed tariff increases ranging from 10% to 28% until July 9th as well. But the tariffs aren’t the only impacted area for growers. Fertilizer prices shot from $303 to $348 per ton in the spring of 2025, but now growers have a short time frame to reassess their operations and budgets before the delays end. On top of changing prices, there have been major disruptions with shipping and availability of products within the industry.

With issues like rapidly changing input prices, budget planning can feel impossible. Growers may be forced to concede on quality of product or reduce profitability to make up for margins. Planting cycles and harvest timelines may also face disruption if supplies become unavailable or delayed. When products are stuck at customs or become too expensive, grower output is majorly affected. As growers are well-aware, timing is everything in this business and a few wrong shipments can derail an entire growing season. That’s why an adaptable and responsive system like SilverLeaf is critical to helping growers navigate these constant challenges and stay ahead of disruptions.

3. Lessons Learned from the Past

There have been a number of supply chain disruptions in recent years, from global pandemics to trade regulations, that have highlighted just how vulnerable greenhouse operations can be. From unstable pricing to sourcing delays, the importance of visibility and agility continues to grow. The lessons we learned during previous disruptions remain relevant in today’s landscape:

• Visibility: Having visibility into the entire supply chain allows growers to anticipate and plan for the impacts of the tariffs.
• Agility: It’s important to be able to respond quickly to disruptions caused by trade regulations and adjust to issues that arise such as sourcing and distribution.
• Technology: Having a good technology stack allows growers to navigate rising issues through flexibility, better forecasting, proactive planning, and strong follow-through.
• Growers who had these three pillars firmly built into their operations thrived during an era in which many operations struggled. It’s important to be prepared for issues that arise instead of reacting in real-time to all of the changes. Growers should be investing in a strong technology stack that can provide real-time data and build resilience now, not in the future.

4. How Growers Can Stay Agile with SilverLeaf

For growers looking to stay on top of an ever-changing environment, SilverLeaf provides real-time visibility, informed forecasting and inventory control, supply chain and production management, live availability, racking with logistics, and much more.

Real-Time Visibility

• With SilverLeaf, growers have comprehensive, real-time insights across their operations. This includes tracking inventory levels, monitoring production schedules, and managing sales orders efficiently. This visibility allows growers to anticipate demand, adjust to changing conditions, and reduce the risk of unforeseen disruptions.
• Saunders Brothers faced challenges with manual reporting and data access. After implementing SilverLeaf, they streamlined their reporting processes, which allowed their staff to generate reports in minutes and save significant time daily. This helped the team to focus more on customer service and strategic decision-making instead of manual processes.

Production Planning

• Balancing supply and demand can be a juggling act but with accurate forecasting and inventory control, it doesn’t have to be as challenging. SilverLeaf enables growers to utilize historical data and market trends so they can predict future demand and forecast more accurately. SilverLeaf can also improve quality control and reduce waste with features like automated inventory alerts and detailed batch tracking.
• Freedom Tree Farms struggled with understanding their production costs as they had data across multiple systems. With SilverLeaf, they gained centralized visibility into inventory and production cycles and were able to identify profitable products and adjust their offerings accordingly.

Supply Chain Management

• To keep operations flowing smoothly, it’s important to have a good relationship with vendors and supply chain partners. SilverLeaf facilities easy communication to suppliers, which reduces delays and misunderstandings. This improves reliability and flexibility in the supply chain.
• Milgro Nursery is a great example of how implementing SilverLeaf helped them achieve operational efficiency. SilverLeaf helped them manage their supply chain more effectively, which resulted in more timely delivery and better coordination with their vendors.

5. The Importance of a Good Technology Partner

Having the right software can take the unique operational challenges that growers face and simplify the whole process in a way that generic ERPs do not. With pre-built modules for functions like crop scheduling, inventory, and order fulfillment, you can hit the ground running. Built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central specifically for growers, SilverLeaf is designed to support these operations, along with other factors like maximizing racking and packaging efficiencies, streamlining load management, and forecasting demand.

SilverLeaf was created by industry experts who know what it takes to run a growing operation, so we’re more than just a software vendor. From helping you map out your business goals and operations to supporting you through the implementation phase and beyond, our team is with you every step of the way. SilverLeaf is more than a software, it’s a competitive advantage.

6. Time to Be Proactive, Not Reactive

Global uncertainty isn’t slowing down and neither should your business. Growers that don’t have responsive operations amidst a volatile environment will feel the most impact, so real-time data and the ability to be more proactive and agile is more prevalent than ever. But don’t worry, Velosio is here to support you through these global challenges, whether it be new regulations and tariffs or a pandemic. SilverLeaf enables you to rapidly adapt to change while making informed decisions with an ERP tailored to your industry-specific needs. Let’s talk about how SilverLeaf can keep your growing season going at full speed.