Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON – As spring planting season approaches, Arkansas agricultural producers are facing record high increases in fertilizer prices. U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) are raising their concern to President Joe Biden regarding the rising cost of this key farming component.
Arkansas is the nation’s leading rice producer and fertilizer costs are hitting those farm families particularly hard. A recent study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M found that rice farmers have the largest per acre cost increase compared to corn, soybean or wheat producers.
Boozman and Cotton joined Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and 16 of their colleagues urging the Biden administration to immediately take all necessary steps to curtail the impact higher fertilizer prices will have on American farmers and consumers.
“Fertilizer is a primary input and major expense for producers across the country, and price increases will have a significant effect on farm profitability and the prices of food and consumer products,” the senators wrote in a letter.
Fertilizer prices are soaring as a result of ongoing supply chain disruptions and the rising cost of energy, among other factors. Considering Russia’s role as a key producer of fertilizer and its necessary inputs, the invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed on the country are likely to cause shortages and price increases for the essential agriculture input. These potential disruptions, coupled with skyrocketing energy prices precipitated by President Biden’s war on the American oil and gas industry, will harm American farmers and in turn, American consumers.
“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; engaging stakeholders to prevent a Canadian Pacific Railway strike; ensuring agricultural minerals like phosphate and potash are part of the Department of the Interior’s List of Critical Minerals; increasing U.S. gas production; and approving pending export permits at the Department of Energy for Liquefied Natural Gas,” the senators concluded.
As ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Boozman has been a powerful voice for agricultural producers, raising the alarm about increasing input costs and repeatedly urging the president to abandon his policies that exacerbate the struggles of all Americans.
A copy of the letter can be found here and below.
Dear Mr. President:
We are writing to express our serious concern regarding record-high fertilizer prices impacting American farmers going into the spring planting season. Fertilizer is a primary input and major expense for producers across the country, and price increases will have a significant effect on farm profitability and the prices of food and consumer products.
Since January 2021, according to the most recent data from the United States Department of Agricultural Marketing Services, the prices of key fertilizer sources have substantially increased as follows: anhydrous ammonia (by 203%); Urea (by 141%); liquid nitrogen (162%); monoammonium phosphate (MAP) (by 74%); potash (by 125%); and farm diesel (by 95%).
Ongoing supply-chain bottlenecks and the rising cost of energy are among the factors sending fertilizer prices soaring, and disruptions stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will only compound the problem. As a result, Americans will pay more at restaurants, grocery stores, and other places.
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; engaging stakeholders to prevent a Canadian Pacific Railway strike; urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture 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 the Interior’s List of Critical Minerals; increasing U.S. gas production; and approving pending export permits at the Department of Energy for Liquefied Natural Gas.
Quickly undertaking such measures is the most immediate—and perhaps only—near-term opportunity to partially remedy the high costs of fertilizer impacting American farmers and ultimately American consumers. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,