WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — USDA is putting $180 million toward what Secretary Brooke Rollins calls a “Seed Sovereignty” initiative designed to strengthen the U.S. seed industry and protect plant genetic resources.
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden joined us on Tuesday’s Market Day Report to explain how the investment will support sequencing hundreds of thousands of genetic resources held in the National Plant Germplasm System.
“We are taking our own agricultural future in our own hands,” Vaden said. “We have the resources here as part of our National Plant Germplasm Network, and we’re now putting real money behind investing in that network.”
Vaden said the goal is to make those genetic resources available for future technologies and crop development while reducing reliance on foreign germplasm sources.
Fertilizer Supply Remains a Concern
Vaden said fertilizer costs continue to put pressure on farm budgets, with the issue extending beyond the current harvest season.
“It’s definitely exerting pressure, and many of these pressures are not new,” Vaden said. “You mentioned fertilizer. This is an issue that’s been percolating in ag for years.”
He said USDA has announced three new fertilizer projects in the past 30 days, including a new domestic phosphate fertilizer production facility and Project Meadowlark in Nebraska.
Vaden said the three projects represent more than 3 million metric tons of additional fertilizer supply.
Project Meadowlark in Gothenburg, Nebraska, is being advanced through the federal permitting process and is planned to produce fertilizer products once commercially operational.
Near-Term Supply and Long-Term Production
Vaden said the new domestic facilities will not begin contributing significant new supply immediately.
“The plants that I’m talking about, they will begin to come online in 2028, providing new fertilizer supply,” Vaden said.
In the meantime, he said USDA is looking for additional sources of fertilizer for the 2027 crop year, including both domestic production and imports.
Vaden also pointed to the administration’s temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco.
“We have had at least a dozen ships reach the Port of New Orleans delivering literally hundreds of thousands of metric tons of new phosphate fertilizer supply,” he said.
He said that fertilizer is already moving up the Mississippi River toward farmers.
Expanding Agricultural Markets
Vaden said USDA is also focused on creating additional markets for U.S. crops and livestock.
He pointed to export demand as well as domestic biofuel production as parts of that effort.
“We’re opening up new markets,” Vaden said. “It’s showing.”
He said USDA is seeing strong corn exports and increased soybean oil production tied to biofuel demand.
“It’s the combination of good domestic policy, especially toward biofuels, and increasing the amount of fuel that we grow here,” Vaden said.
China Remains Important for Soybeans
Vaden said China will remain an important market for U.S. agriculture, but he also argued that farmers should have a broader customer base.
“I think China will remain an important market, but if you’re a smart businessman, you can’t build your product around only one customer,” Vaden said.
He said USDA is working to expand demand for U.S. soybeans both internationally and domestically.
Vaden also argued that China remains on track to meet soybean purchase commitments. Those claims reflect Vaden’s assessment of the trade agreement and current purchases. USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has continued to report soybean sales to China during the 2026-27 marketing year.
USDA Looks Ahead
Vaden said USDA’s work on fertilizer, trade, biofuels and agricultural policy is intended to improve the outlook for producers.
“I think next year is going to be better than this year, just like this year was better than the year before,” Vaden said.
He said increased demand and policy changes could provide additional opportunities for farmers heading into 2027.
“I am confident that with regard to the policies that will be coming out of this administration, whether it be biofuels, whether it be trade, whether it be whatever, the interests of the farmer will be first,” Vaden said.
