By Julie Tomasick
Editor

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new $500 million grant program this month to boost domestic fertilizer manufacturing.

The Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) Program will support the construction and expansion of domestic fertilizer production facilities.

USDA said it will prioritize “shovel-ready, financially viable projects capable of increasing production of critical crop nutrients.”

The announcement comes just days after President Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending countervailing duties on certain phosphate fertilizer imports.

“The Trump administration’s FIELDS Program is solely focused on producing fertilizer leading to lower costs for American farmers and consumers, as well as restoring a critical supply chain for our country,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said.

The program will support projects that expand domestic production of nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulfur and other critical crop nutrients. USDA said the investments are intended to strengthen competition, improve supply chain resilience and increase fertilizer availability for American farmers.

“Our goal is simple. We want fertilizer plants built in America, and we are willing to prioritize it,” Rollins said. “We want fertilizer produced in America, and we want fertilizer delivered in America to American farmers. And by doing so, by opening up the market, obviously, those prices will come down for our farmers.”

Funding for the program will come from the Commodity Credit Corporation, and individual awards will range from $15 million to $150 million.

“Food security is national security,” Rollins said. “A strong domestic fertilizer industry is essential to a strong agricultural economy. This investment will help ensure American farmers have access to a secure, reliable and domestically produced fertilizer supply for generations to come.”

The FIELDS program is designed to support projects that are made in America, independent and competitive, farmer-focused, innovative and energy dominant and secure, while delivering measurable increases in fertilizer production.

Applications will remain open for 45 days and must be submitted electronically through grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 15.

Additional information, including eligibility requirements and application materials, is available through USDA Rural Development at www.rd.usda.gov and on grants.gov.