Biden USDA launches $900 million program to increase domestic fertilizer production and lower prices

The Biden USDA announces $900 million in funding to support domestic fertilizer production, aiming to reduce American farmers' dependence on fertilizer imports, particularly from Russia and Belarus whose exports were disrupted by the Ukraine war and sanctions, and lower food costs. The program provides grants and loans to domestic fertilizer manufacturers to expand production capacity and increase competition in a market long dominated by a few large players. The administration ties the program to its broader antitrust agenda, arguing that fertilizer industry consolidation has allowed companies to maintain artificially high prices. The Biden DOJ also investigates price-fixing in the pork and turkey industries.