OMAHA (DTN) -- Saying farmers have suffered billions of dollars in harm by the fertilizer industry, U.S. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden told farmers on Friday that the Trump administration is focused on increasing fertilizer supplies, while federal agencies also need farmers' help to bring a case against the fertilizer industry over alleged anticompetitive practices.

Vaden told farmers the best way to bring down fertilizer prices is to increase competition for farmers' business.

The Iowa Corn Growers Association said more than 170 farmers from 13 states gathered in Iowa on Friday for a hearing with Vaden to discuss fertilizer prices. Farm groups have ramped up their efforts to call out high fertilizer prices from the major suppliers -- Mosaic, Nutrien, CF Industries and Koch. Farmers dubbed their event the "Fed Up: Fertilizer Cartels Profit off Farmers" hearing.

"American farmers are being bled dry by fertilizer prices that have continued to climb, generating over $20 billion in profits for fertilizer shareholders within the past five years, while the American farmer has seen the price of fertilizer double, even tripling at times, since 2020," Iowa Corn Growers stated.

At the meeting, corn growers continued to press their case that the federal government needs to do more to break up the market consolidation in the fertilizer industry and create more competition to lower prices. Corn farmers held a similar event last May in Texas with the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, which announced the FTC is investigating the fertilizer industry.

"We have continued to reiterate that as farmers, we cannot face big fertilizer alone, but that doesn't mean that we will be quiet and continue to be taken advantage of," said Iowa Corn Growers Association President Steve Kuiper. "It is clear that USDA sees the market collusion, unfairness and lack of transparency taking place in the fertilizer industry, and farmers are committed to continuing to gather evidence and pushing investigations forward until farmers have access to a fair and free market."

DTN Fertilizer Trends shows fertilizer prices have come down from the highs, but remain higher than a year ago. Anhydrous ammonia last week averaged $938 per ton, up from $767 for the same week last year. DAP, MAP, potash and urea also are higher than last year's prices.

ANTITRUST PRESSURE

Vaden told farmers to "keep doing what you are doing" in pressing their case for price relief and antitrust actions against the industry. Vaden said USDA leaders are working as a conduit from farmers to the Justice Department and the FTC to continue pressing the case that federal antitrust action is needed against the fertilizer industry.

"We're not looking for a slap on the wrist. The amount of harm that has been done here is billions and billions of dollars, and that's just on an annual basis, and this has been going on for years. We're talking about real remedies, and keep in mind that under the antitrust law, it's not just a fine," Vaden said. "There's the possibility of injunctive relief to rearrange markets. So we are keeping every remedial avenue open because ultimately you have it completely right. What we want here, we're not seeking to dictate a price. We just want a fair price."

Vaden highlighted a National Corn Growers Association study released in July that showed U.S. farmers pay a premium for inputs compared to Brazilian farmers. Vaden said he gave that report to the Federal Trade Commission to review.

Linda Thrasher, co-founder of Greenfield Nitrogen, was among those who spoke with Vaden on a panel. Thrasher said her startup company was essentially "blackballed" by local cooperatives and fertilizer retailers that feared retribution from the major suppliers if they agreed to buy fertilizer from Greenfield.

"In terms of what blackballed meant, we took it based on the conversation to be that if supplies were tight, they would be put on allocation. It's a real fear because fertilizer is so hard, especially nitrogen, it is so hard to get. They did not want to be put on the allocation list," Thrasher said.

NEW PLANTS COMING ONLINE

The deputy secretary also highlighted progress in bringing new fertilizer supplies online. He pointed to Blue Point One, a new 1.4 million metric-ton ammonia plant under construction in Louisiana that is a joint venture involving CF Industries and JERA, a Japanese power company, and other investors. Vaden said it would provide new supplies "that American farmers will have access to."

"It will be, on completion, the world's largest ammonia production facility by nameplate capacity," Vaden said.

At the same time, the new ammonia plant is also partially owned by JERA and Mitsui & Co., which plan to export at least some of the ammonia produced there back to Japan.

Separately, farmer-owned cooperative CHS and Moroccan fertilizer company OCP also broke ground on a new phosphate fertilizer plant in Louisiana. That facility will add 1.3 million metric tons of phosphate fertilizer capacity. "These are the beginnings of things to come," Vaden said. "There are other projects in the works for both short and long term. We're not only looking domestically; we're looking at sources which used to supply us internationally, including Venezuela."

Vaden said there is an American company looking to bring in new nitrogen fertilizer supplies from Venezuela. Vaden said the U.S. State Department also is helping work on that project.

"Not only will we bring in new supply, not only will we have more competition because the company that wants to bring this in is not one of the current market-dominant players," he said.

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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