(Radio Iowa) – Senator Chuck Grassley is calling on the U-S-D-A to issue a report that evaluates the impact of concentration in the fertilizer industry, “To shine a light on the market factors driving high the cost of fertilizer.” Grassley and Iowa’s other Republican Senator, Joni Ernst, are co-sponsoring a bill on the topic with Democratic senators from Wisconsin and Georgia.

“This bipartisan legislation will give farmers more transparency and certainty so they can better navigate production costs,” Grassley said. The bill would require the U-S-D-A to produce a report within a year and review all the factors that are influencing price spikes in fertilizer costs. Phosphate prices in August were 36 percent higher than in January and the price of potash, a key component in fertilizer, is rising as well. Trade disputes are influencing fertilizer costs as well. China quit exporting phosphate fertilizers in late 2021.

“President Trump campaigned on using tariffs to get better deals for the United States,” Grassley says. “…I’m a free trader. I’ve said it all along. I hope the president can successfully strike better trade deals as a result of trade negotiations. He’s proven time and again that he can.” Grassley cites deals that led to U.S. beef exports to Australia and rice exports to South Korea.

Senator Ernst, in a written statement, said the U-S-D-A report that’s called for in the bill would lead to a better understanding of the fertilizer industry and give farmers clarity as they plan to buy fertilizer. Many farmers apply nitrogen to fields after the fall harvest. This year, 36 percent of the operating costs for a traditional row-crop farm will be spent buying fertilizer according to U-S-D-A projections.