The U.S. Department of Agriculture extended the deadline for public comments on its Access to Fertilizer: Competition and Supply Chain Concerns notice.
The notice, which was originally issued in the Federal Register March 17, stated the new deadline for comments is July 15, according to a June 14 USDA news release. Earlier deadlines were May 16 and June 15.
“We are extending the deadline for comments an additional month to enable commenters to provide additional feedback regarding the role of capacity expansion and related strategies to directly enhance competition in the fertilizer market,” Andy Green, USDA’s senior advisor for fair and competitive markets, said in the release.
The USDA seeks to obtain feedback on issues such as financial and developmental barriers to increased fertilizer capacity, as well as improvements to current procedures that might help expedite new fertilizer production, the release reported.
“USDA is committed to using every tool at its disposal to enhance competition and improve resiliency in the fertilizer market," Green added, according to the release. "Finding ways to encourage sustainable and independent choices for fertilizer supplies demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing investment in American goods and services to rebuild a more resilient, secure, and sustainable economy.”
Since 2021, fertilizer prices have almost doubled due to a limited supply of minerals and rising energy costs, as well as growing global demand and agricultural commodity prices, among other factors, according to the news release. The U.S. is currently dependent on the supply of fertilizer from other countries and ranks among the second or third highest importers of the three primary fertilizer components.
