WASHINGTON – House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott released the below statement following today’s announcement of investments by USDA in American-made fertilizer production.

“The importance of American-made fertilizer production has never been clearer than it is now. The war in Ukraine and other challenges to our agricultural supply chain have been a hardship for our farmers and impacted access to critical production tools that will carry over into the next harvest season,” said Chairman David Scott.

“In recent months, our House Agriculture Committee has raised the importance of diversifying fertilizer production, recognizing the burden of increased fertilizer costs. The House-passed Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act included investments in the long-term stability and sustainability of the fertilizer industry by supporting more efficient fertilizer use, investing in research and development of innovative fertilizer and fertilizer alternatives, and expanding access to precision agriculture technology,” Chairman David Scott continued.

“However, incentivizing more precise and efficient fertilizer use does not lessen the importance of this critical input for our farmers. We must combine these efforts with investments in domestic production so our producers do not suffer when forces beyond their control disrupt the fertilizer market. This investment of $500 million in grants from USDA will help spur competition in the domestic fertilizer market and allow our farmers to fight back against rising input costs. I applaud Secretary Vilsack for exercising his discretionary authority to utilize Commodity Credit Corporation funds for such an important effort,” said Chairman David Scott.