Vilsack announces domestic fertilizer projects from CCC

As the House Agriculture Committee considered a bill that would restrict the agriculture authority’s use of the Commodity Credit Corporation, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced projects to increase domestic fertilizer production with CCC funds.

“The Biden-Harris administration and USDA are committed to bolstering the economy and increasing competition for our nation’s farmers, ranchers and small business owners,” Vilsack said in a news release from Casco, Wis. “The investments announced today, made possible through the Commodity Credit Corporation, will increase domestic fertilizer production and strengthen our supply chain, all while creating good-paying jobs that will benefit everyone.”

USDA is awarding $83 million in 12 states for projects through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP).

USDA is making awards to facilities in California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington.

USDA added, “To date, USDA has invested $251 million in 57 projects across 29 states through FPEP.

“President Biden and USDA created FPEP to combat issues facing American farmers due to rising fertilizer prices, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 due to a variety of factors such as war in Ukraine and a lack of competition in the fertilizer industry. The administration committed up to $900 million through the Commodity Credit Corporation for FPEP. Funding supports long-term investments that will strengthen supply chains, create new economic opportunities for American businesses, and support climate-smart innovation.”

Last October, USDA offered Dairy Dreams, a Casco, Wis., firm, a $2.5 million grant to construct a nutrient concentration system and a pelleting system on a dairy farm to convert manure to domestically manufactured fertilizer, improving access to organic liquids and pellets.