President Joe Biden, on May 11, addressed farmers in Kankakee, Ill., to announce that his administration would be giving farmers additional tools and resources to boost crop production and maintain global food security.
Biden committed to double the previously announced funding for domestic fertilizer production from $250 million (GM March 18, p. 27) to $500 million in order to ensure accessibility of this fertilizer for growers; cut costs for farmers by increasing technical assistance for technology-driven precision agriculture, resulting in less fertilizer usage without reducing yields; and increase the number of counties eligible for double cropping insurance, which will allow farmers to plant a second crop on the same land in the same year, helping boost production without relying on farmers to substitute crops or cultivate new land.
“American corn growers continue to feed and fuel the world even as they face challenges stemming from the war in Ukraine and high input costs,” said National Corn Growers Association CEO Jon Doggett, who attended the announcement. “We’re appreciative of the efforts that President Biden and USDA are making to help farmers navigate these challenges, and the recognition of the key role farmers play in providing solutions.”
The Fertilizer Institute President and CEO Corey Rosenbusch welcomed the announcement that the investment in domestic fertilizer production would be doubled.
“The importance of fertilizer in food production and national security is taking center stage,” said Rosenbusch. “Fertilizer increases crop yields that can be attributed to feeding 50 percent of the global population. TFI supports efforts to bolster fertilizer supply through domestic production and technology, and we also urge policy makers to remove the regulatory burdens that inhibit growth of existing fertilizer production.”
Rosenbusch added that the US has one of the most robust and competitive fertilizer industries in the world and is one of only three countries to have at least twenty unique fertilizer producers.
“We look forward to working with the USDA on how to most efficiently leverage those funds in a way that positively impacts farmers who rely on fertilizers to feed the crops that feed the world,” he said.
Rosenbusch noted that President Biden also addressed the need to increase access to existing nutrient management tools, an issue that TFI has been supporting through its industry-wide 4R Nutrient Stewardship program and by seeking streamlining of USDA technical assistance programs.
“There are barriers to adoption that must be addressed,” Rosenbusch stressed. “The biggest thing the administration can do is to allow Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) to be recognized as Technical Service Providers (TSP), which would allow them to write nutrient management plans known as 590 plans.”
TFI said additional improvements include expanded eligibility for the 590 grant program, allowing agricultural retailers to be eligible for all Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) grants and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funds, building a dedicated Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) initiative to support and encourage sustainable, climate smart nutrient stewardship practice adoption, and to increase the cost-share rate within NRCS programs to 75 percent.