(Delaware, Ohio) – Tired of being ignored and fed up with paying sky-high prices for essential inputs like fertilizer, Ohio farmers have joined growers across the country demanding answers from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins about a newly launched federal probe into possible price fixing in the fertilizer industry.
The Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association (OCWGA), along with 13 other corn-producing states, sent a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urging transparency regarding the ongoing investigation.
“Farmers are dealing with razor-thin margins, and if someone or something is manipulating the price of an essential tool like fertilizer, then we deserve to know more about what is going on,” said Eric Tipton, President of the OCWGA
Farm leaders say the situation has raised troubling questions about how the fertilizer industry operates.
Meanwhile, Federal officials have warned about extreme consolidation in the fertilizer industry. Leaders at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have described the market structure as a “duopoly” and warned it could create vulnerabilities to price manipulation. The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly opened an investigation into fertilizer pricing practices.
Now, farmers across the Corn Belt want to know what investigators are finding.
“This isn’t about pointing fingers,” Tipton said. “It’s about ensuring that American farmers operate in a marketplace that is fair, transparent, and competitive. If something isn’t right in this marketplace, farmers deserve to know,” Tipton added. “And so does every American who depends on the food we grow.”
About the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association
The Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association is a collective membership organization representing the interests of Ohio’s more than 38,000 farmers. Together, we advocate on behalf of our members by fighting for strong public policy that supports and protects growers to farm as they know best how to do. We are focused on promoting and enhancing opportunities that set up Ohio Farmers for success. Discover more about the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association by visiting OhioCornAndWheat.org.
