170 farmers from 13 states confront USDA on fertilizer pricing at Iowa hearing

More than 170 farmers from 13 states gathered at a farm north of Ogden, Iowa, on September 11 for a hearing organized by corn and wheat growers’ associations to press federal officials on fertilizer pricing they described as unsustainable. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden attended the event, pledging that individual farmer stories would strengthen the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing investigation into whether major fertilizer producers have engaged in unfair pricing or anticompetitive practices.

USDA pledges FTC probe will use farmer testimony

“Anybody can explain away one thing, you might be able to explain away two or three things, but if we’ve got 100 such stories from farmers all across this country, it becomes very difficult for even sophisticated lawyers to explain away such a large and broad-based phenomenon,” Vaden told the crowd.

Vaden acknowledged that some farmers and agricultural businesses may fear retaliation for speaking publicly and encouraged them to submit accounts anonymously through the SaveFamilyFarms.US website. He previously served as a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade before becoming USDA’s deputy secretary.

Fertilizer costs doubled since 2020 as producer profits surged

The USDA fertilizer antitrust investigation hearing focused on four companies that together account for an estimated 75% of U.S. domestic fertilizer production: Mosaic, Nutrien, CF Industries and Koch Ag & Energy Solutions. Organizers said fertilizer prices have doubled, and at times tripled, since 2020, while the companies have generated more than $20 billion in combined shareholder profits over the past five years.

CF Industries and Nutrien alone earned a combined $754 million in net profit during the first quarter of 2026, according to their financial reports — a 120% increase in combined net earnings year-on-year. The profit surge occurred even as farmers faced the most severe cost pressure since the 2022 spike triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Mark Muench, a corn and soybean farmer who hosted the event on his family farm, said costs have reached a point where many producers cannot break even. Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman described the profit disparity between manufacturers and growers as evidence of pricing practices that exploit geopolitical disruptions, retaliatory tariffs and industry consolidation.

Multiple federal investigations underway

The Iowa hearing is the latest step in an escalating federal scrutiny of the fertilizer industry. In September 2025, USDA and the Department of Justice signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly examine competitive conditions in agricultural input markets. The FTC subsequently opened a formal investigation, issuing subpoenas for industry information.

Separately, bipartisan legislation in both the House and Senate — the Fertilizer Transparency Act of 2026 — would require USDA to collect and publish weekly fertilizer price data from manufacturers, replacing the current annual voluntary survey. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) attended the hearing and said Congress is advancing policies championed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, including bills on fertilizer research and price transparency.

FIELDS program targets new domestic capacity

USDA has launched the Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) program, a $500 million initiative to fund projects that expand, upgrade or construct fertilizer production facilities owned and operated outside the dominant producers. The program aims to introduce new competitive capacity into a market where four companies control three-quarters of output.

Vaden has publicly characterized Nutrien and Mosaic as operating a duopoly structure, citing their Canadian joint venture Canpotex Ltd. No company has been charged, and all allegations remain unproven.

What to watch

The USDA fertilizer antitrust investigation timeline remains uncertain. Analysts are tracking three markers: whether DOJ or the FTC files charges before fall fertilizer purchasing decisions are locked in; whether USDA announces FIELDS awards and to which companies; and whether Illinois anhydrous ammonia prices — currently near $892.50 per ton, according to USDA’s Illinois Production Cost Report for the week ending September 4 — resume climbing as the structural price pressures identified by CoBank and AFBF weigh on 2027 planning.

Source: Iowa Capital Dispatch