Klobuchar Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Lower Fertilizer Costs

Joined by Senators Thune and Marshall, Klobuchar proposes plans to increase domestic fertilizer production, increase price transparency

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced bipartisan bills to address high fertilizer costs in the wake of the war in Iran, tariff threats on fertilizer imports, and fertilizer market consolidation.

"At a time when rising fertilizer costs and low commodity prices are continuing to erode farmers' profitability, we should be increasing price transparency for farmers in the current market and increasing domestic fertilizer production and storage here at home," said Klobuchar. "These bipartisan bills will help stabilize fertilizer pricing, reduce supply chain disruptions, and ensure farmers can access affordable fertilizer to keep feeding and fueling the world."

In 2025 and 2026, high input costs and low commodity prices created significant economic challenges for farmers. As farmers prepare for the spring planting season, a sharp spike in fertilizer prices has created supply challenges and left producers in a financial bind. Since the end of February, fertilizer components like urea have risen in price by 25 percent. Ammonia, phosphate, sulfur, and potassium have also risen sharply.

The Fertilizer Transparency Act (Thune-Klobuchar) will create a mandatory price reporting system to offer market participants of all sizes with comparable levels of market information on fertilizer components. This bill is also cosponsored by Senators Grassley and Baldwin.

"South Dakota's producers have been facing some pretty fierce economic headwinds over the past few years," said Thune. "Higher prices for fertilizer - and the uncertainty surrounding costs - have only strained their budgets even further. This legislation would empower producers with better information about fertilizer pricing so they can make cost-effective choices when it comes to purchasing key inputs for their crops."

The Homegrown Fertilizer Act (Klobuchar-Marshall) will create a grant and loan program to expand the domestic fertilizer production and improve fertilizer storage capacity.

"Kansas farmers deserve a competitive, diverse fertilizer marketplace that doesn't leave them at the mercy of price spikes and supply disruptions," said Senator Marshall. "This bipartisan bill invests in American manufacturing, supports innovation in agricultural inputs, and puts more options in farmers' hands going into the spring growing season. I'm proud to lead this effort alongside Senator Klobuchar and look forward to working with our manufacturing and agriculture retailer communities to get it done."

"Increasing pricing transparency and providing additional loan and grant funding for domestic fertilizer production are great first steps toward creating competition and preventing anti-competitive pricing practice in the fertilizer market. Such price stabilization is critically important now, as farmers are squeezed by softening commodity prices and skyrocketing input costs. We appreciate the work of Senator Klobuchar to reduce input costs for family farmers and look forward to working with her to pass these bipartisan proposals," said Wes Beck, President of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

"Fertilizer is one of the most significant input costs farmers face, and in recent years producers have experienced dramatic price swings. Improving transparency in the fertilizer market through reasonable reporting requirements will help ensure farmers have better access to information about supply, pricing and market trends so they can make informed decisions for their operations. Pairing that transparency with investments in fertilizer storage through grant funding will also help cooperatives and other suppliers expand capacity and improve availability when farmers need it most. Together, these efforts will help strengthen competition and ensure farmers have a level playing field when managing input costs. We appreciate the leadership of Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Thune on advancing fertilizer market transparency, as well as Senator Roger Marshall's leadership on expanding fertilizer storage capacity," said Dan Glessing, President of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation.

"Fertilizer is one of the most important and volatile input costs our growers face. We appreciate the bipartisan leadership of Sen. Klobuchar, Sen. Thune and Sen. Marshall behind these bills to strengthen competition and expand fertilizer supply options. Policies that encourage investment, improve market access, reduce supply disruptions and improve awareness and transparency in the fertilizer industry will ultimately help stabilize prices and give farmers the certainty they need to keep producing a domestic food, feed, fuel and fiber source for American consumers," said Jared Kovar, Vice President of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.

"As we prepare to plant our 2026 crop, Minnesota soybean farmers are in dire economic need of more transparency in the marketplace. As we continue to see, our global supply chain system is very fragile and vulnerable to geopolitical instability. With no relief in sight to high input costs facing our farmers, we support any policies that will help generate more domestic production of fertilizer to ease our dependence on global markets, and we commend Sen. Klobuchar for her leadership in introducing this bipartisan legislation," said Darin Johnson, President of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association.

"Four multinational companies dominate the market for fertilizer and often leave Minnesota farmers with even fewer options to purchase locally. This is far from a competitive market, which is why I'm glad Senators Klobuchar and Thune are leading to bring more transparency to the market. This, coupled with Senators Klobuchar and Marshall's support for more domestic production, will help create a more resilient system that farmers can count on. Between depressed commodity prices and increased costs of everything from equipment parts to healthcare, our members are being squeezed enough without companies padding their pockets by inflating the cost of fertilizer," said MFU President Gary Wertish.

"Minnesota farmers need transparency when making important input cost decisions, such as buying fertilizer. Volatile fertilizer prices and supply chains are disruptive to farmers and threaten our food security. Building a stronger domestic fertilizer industry would alleviate supply chain issues, relying less on foreign suppliers which would make the U.S. farmer more resilient," said Austen Germolus, President of the Minnesota Wheat Growers Association.

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