USDA will soon dish out more than $100 million on increasing domestic fertilizer production.
They will be spending $116 million on the effort, with the money coming from the Commodity Credit Corporation. The funds will help expand fertilizer production in nine states across eight different facilities.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says he hopes the money will lower inputs while increasing options for farmers. So far through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, USDA has spent more than half a billion dollars on more than 75 fertilizer facilities.
Related Stories
Union leaders warn many federal researchers may leave their jobs rather than move to regional hubs.
USDA says planting progress remains strong nationwide, though some soybean fields are still slow to emerge.
The lower outlook follows months of drought stress across major winter wheat regions, where some producers have abandoned fields or shifted acres to grazing instead of harvest.
Aimee Bissell discusses Iowa planting progress, weather conditions, fertilizer costs, and concerns over early crop development.