Another group of lawmakers has sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging action on rising fertilizer prices. The April 5 letter, led by Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), and Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), was co-signed by an additional 92 Republican members of the House.
Using USDA data, the letter states that fertilizer prices since January 2021 have risen by 203 percent for anhydrous ammonia, 141 percent for urea, 162 percent for liquid nitrogen, 74 percent for MAP, and 125 percent for potash.
“We are therefore urging your administration to review all available options to lower the cost of fertilizer, including, but not limited to: eliminating the cross-border vaccine mandate for transporters of essential commerce; urging the USDA to use its existing authorities under the food supply chain and pandemic response resources to provide support for farmers facing financial difficulties; ensuring agricultural minerals like phosphate and potash are part of the Department of Interior’s crucial mission; increasing U.S. gas production; and approving pending export permits at the Department of Energy for liquefied natural gas,” the letter said.
“Last month, fertilizer reached the highest price ever recorded, and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, these prices are only going to get worse,” said Rep. Fischbach. “I hear from farmers across my district all the time they cannot afford today’s prices. Our farmers need President Biden to review all available options to lower the cost of fertilizer, and I am proud to be a co-author of this letter urging exactly that.”
The letter mirrors an earlier plea from Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) in March urging the Biden administration to take immediate action to lower the cost of fertilizer for American farmers (GM March 18, p. 1). That letter had 17 Senate Republican co-signers, and listed the same recommended actions.
The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) on April 6 issued a statement after participating in a roundtable discussion regarding fertilizer markets with House Republican Members and staff of the Committee on Agriculture.
“Fertilizer is an essential tool for farmers to achieve desired yields, and we appreciate the opportunity to offer solutions to the current market pressures with members of the Agriculture Committee,” said TFI President and CEO Corey Rosenbush. “During this busy spring planting season – and throughout the year – the fertilizer industry is committed to ensuring adequate supply to meet farmer demand for the nutrients that are so essential to growing healthy and abundant crops.”
Rosenbush said the effects of COVID-19, extreme weather disruptions, rising energy prices, facility maintenance, geopolitical events, and export bans have “dramatically” affected the fertilizer market.
“As a globally traded commodity, supply and demand economics drive the fertilizer markets, and 90 percent of the world’s fertilizer is consumed outside the U.S.,” he said. “Fertilizer feeds the food that feeds the world, so the issues our industry faces significantly impact global food security. Tackling the challenges to the world’s food supply truly requires collaboration, innovation, and partnerships, and we welcome this and future opportunities to discuss these solutions.”