By Blake Jackson
The Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) joined a coalition of corn grower groups from 14 states in sending a formal letter to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, urging continued action in the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into fertilizer pricing and market concentration. The letter underscores farmers’ growing concerns over rising fertilizer costs and limited competition in the input marketplace.
A competitive and transparent marketplace is vital for farmers and national food security. Fertilizers, including nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, are essential for maintaining soil fertility and producing corn used in livestock feed, food products, and renewable fuels.
“Missouri corn farmers are making critical decisions right now while staring at rising input costs and tight margins,” says MCGA President Brian Lehman, a corn grower from Versailles, Mo.
“Farmers cannot control the price of corn, but we do expect the cost of essential inputs like fertilizer to be determined by a fair and competitive marketplace. Transparency and accountability in this investigation are important for the farmers who depend on these products to grow the crops that feed and fuel our country.”
As the 2026 planting season approaches, crop prices remain low, while key input costs continue to climb. DTN market data shows diammonium phosphate (DAP) averages $851 per ton, up $108 from last year; monoammonium phosphate (MAP) is $879, up $71; and potash is $488, up $52.
“America’s farmers need a marketplace where competition works and where the cost of doing business is not dictated by a handful of dominant companies,” Lehman says.
“This coalition letter represents a unified voice from corn farmers across America: we need transparency, we need accountability, and we need a fair and competitive marketplace for the inputs that keep this nation fed.”
USDA leadership has highlighted a “duopoly” in the fertilizer industry, calling concentration “unacceptable,” with Secretary Rollins warning of potential “price-fixing.”
Steps taken include a September 2025 DOJ-USDA memorandum and administration in December 2025 executive order investigating anticompetitive practices. MCGA will continue collaborating with partners and federal leaders to ensure fairness and transparency for corn growers.
Photo Credit: missouri-corn
Categories: Missouri, Crops, Corn, Government & Policy