Missouri Corn Joins Coalition Pushing For Transparency On Fertilizer Pricing

Posted on: Mar 11, 2026

The Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) joined a coalition of corn grower organizations from 14 states in a formal letter to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) Brooke Rollins, urging continued action in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into fertilizer pricing and market concentration. The letter reflects farmers' serious concerns about rising fertilizer costs and limited competition in the input marketplace.

Ensuring a fair and competitive marketplace is critical not only for farmers but also for the nation's food security. Fertilizer is one of the most essential inputs for growing a healthy corn crop. Farmers rely on products such as nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to maintain soil fertility and produce field corn used for livestock feed, food, 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 Missouri corn growers enter the 2026 planting season, crop prices remain low while the cost of key inputs continues to climb. According to DTN market data, diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer currently averages $851 per ton, up $108 from a year ago. Monoammonium phosphate (MAP) fertilizer stands at $879 per ton, up $71, and potash averages $488 per ton, up $52. These pressures existed well before recent tensions in the Middle East added further uncertainty to global supply chains.

"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."

Leadership at the USDA has publicly identified a "duopoly" in the fertilizer market and called the level of concentration "unacceptable." Secretary Rollins has warned of "vulnerabilities to price-fixing" in the industry. The Administration has taken several steps to address the issue, including the September 2025 memorandum of understanding between the DOJ and USDA and President Trump's December 2025 executive order directing an investigation of anticompetitive conduct in sectors including fertilizer. Reports also indicate the Antitrust Division has opened an active investigation into pricing practices among major fertilizer producers.

MCGA will continue working alongside state organizations, national partners, and federal leaders to push for transparency in the investigation and advocate for a fair and competitive marketplace for corn growers.