USDA makes US$500 million available for fertilizer investment

Utilising the authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the USDA will make US$500 million available through the FIELDS Programme to support construction and expansion of domestic fertilizer production facilities. The programme prioritises shovel-ready, financially viable projects capable of increasing production of critical crop nutrients.

"For decades, American farmers were forced to rely on unstable foreign suppliers for one of the most important inputs needed to feed our nation. Today we are announcing a plan to end this consolidation and bring competition back to the American fertilizer industry," said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. "Under President Trump's leadership, the USDA is rebuilding America's fertilizer manufacturing base, strengthening supply chains, and ensuring our producers have reliable and affordable access to the fertilizer they need to remain competitive. The previous administration chose to prioritise their radical climate agenda when searching for fertilizer projects, and as result let this problem exacerbate by not getting shovels in the ground and only building 6% of their stated goal. The Trump Administration’s FIELDS programme is solely focused on producing fertilizer leading to lower costs for American farmers and consumers, as well as restoring a critical supply chain for our country. Farm security is national security.”

“American natural resource extraction is the safest and most environmentally friendly in the world. It makes zero sense to import fertilizer from foreign competitors when we can make it right here while fuelling our economy and protecting human health and the environment,” added Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin. “This is an obvious win-win for Americans farmers, families, and businesses. The Trump EPA stands ready to help rebuild this vital arm of American manufacturing while ensuring each facility adheres to the strict environmental standards required by law.”

“President Trump's promise to restore common sense to America's energy and climate policy continues to deliver. While past leaders harmed America’s agriculture industry with anti-hydrocarbon policies that drove up the cost of our food, the Trump administration will continue to take actions across the federal government to make fertilizer more accessible and affordable,” said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “I’m proud to be working hand-in-hand with Secretary Rollins on these important initiatives."

FIELDS builds upon USDA’s review of more than 120 fertilizer projects inherited from the previous Administration. The USDA worked alongside project developers, lenders, farmers, and federal partners to identify barriers to construction and financing, using those lessons to develop a programme focused on implementation-ready projects capable of delivering measurable production increases.

Administered by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the programme will support projects that expand domestic production of nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulfur, and other critical crop nutrients, strengthen competition, improve supply chain resilience, and increase fertilizer availability for American farmers. Unlike previous fertilizer funding efforts, FIELDS emphasises project readiness, financial strength, realistic construction timelines, and measurable production outcomes.

The FIELDS Programme complements the Administration’s broader fertilizer strategy to lower input costs and strengthen domestic production. In recent months, President Trump suspended countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imports to improve fertilizer availability and lower costs for farmers, designated phosphate and potash as Critical Minerals, established a USDA-Department of Justice memorandum of understanding (MoU) to address anti-competitive practices affecting agricultural input markets, improved fertilizer transportation flexibility during supply disruptions, and created USDA’s first dedicated Agricultural Economist focused on fertilizer markets and crop inputs.

The FIELDS Programme is designed to support projects that are:

• Made in America
• Independent and competitive
• Farmer focused
• Innovative
• Energy dominant and secure
• Capable of delivering measurable production increases

“Food security is national security,” Rollins added. “A strong domestic fertilizer industry is essential to a strong agricultural economy. This investment will help ensure American farmers have access to a secure, reliable, and domestically produced fertilizer supply for generations to come.”

Individual awards will range from US$15 million to US$150 million, with funding focused on projects that strengthen domestic fertilizer manufacturing and deliver meaningful benefits to American agriculture.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/nitrogen/06072026/usda-makes-us500-million-available-for-fertilizer-investment/