Yesterday, Iowa corn farmer members from across the state met with Department of Justice (DOJ) Associate Attorney General of the United States, Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. about the pressures U.S. farmers are facing due to continued fertilizer price increases caused by major consolidation within the fertilizer industry.
Farmers shared first-hand accounts of sharp fertilizer price increases, citing examples of prices doubling from year to year and instances where they could not even obtain price quotes. Iowa corn farmers emphasized that the fertilizer industry is exploiting government payments intended to support farmers, ultimately diverting those funds to boost fertilizer companies’ profits. They stressed that family farms in Iowa and across the nation cannot withstand this ongoing exploitation, and they urged the DOJ to investigate potential anti-competitive practices and to demand greater transparency in fertilizer pricing.
When asked who from the DOJ would take the lead on this issue and produce real answers for Iowa corn farmers, the Associate Attorney General answered, “I will,” and promised to return to Iowa with an answer for all farmers with the DOJ’s findings.
The Iowa Corn Growers Association will continue to keep the fertilizer industry’s consolidation at the top of the DOJ’s mind and continue fighting on behalf of Iowa’s corn growers.
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