Overview
- Pressed on Fox Business Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins faced repeated questions about a concrete plan to cut soaring fertilizer costs during planting season.
- Rollins said she has daily talks with the White House and fertilizer CEOs and cited short-term steps that include temporary Jones Act relief, new import routes such as from Venezuela, faster permits, and an EPA move easing diesel exhaust rules tied to urea.
- She said USDA will announce short- and long-term actions soon and confirmed she is considering reviving the Biden-era Fertilizer Production Expansion Program to boost domestic supply.
- Prices have jumped as Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz restrict shipments of key inputs like urea and ammonia, with DTN data showing urea up 27% in April compared with March.
- A recent Farm Bureau survey found many growers cannot afford all they need this year, especially in the South, while policy analysts highlight 2021 phosphate tariffs that research links to a roughly 29% jump in DAP costs for U.S. farmers.