WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and 18 of his Senate colleagues wrote a letter to President Joe Biden regarding record increases in fertilizer prices approaching the spring planting season.

As ongoing supply-chain bottlenecks and the rising cost of energy, among other factors, send fertilizer prices soaring, and with the potential of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to create additional disruptions, the senators are urging the Biden Administration to immediately take all necessary steps to curtail the rising costs impacting American farmers and consumers.

“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,” the senators wrote.

Considering Russia’s role as a key producer of fertilizer and necessary inputs of fertilizer, its invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed on the country are likely to cause shortages and price increases of fertilizer. 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.

A copy of the letter can be found here. 

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