USDA to fund 8 fertilizer manufacturing projects totaling more than $1.3B

The agency said the projects will add production capacity to drive prices lower and reduce the nation’s reliance on nutrients from other countries.

The Trump administration is pushing to increase domestic fertilizer capacity and reduce the nation’s reliance on supplies from other countries. Although the United States produces most of its own fertilizer — considered to be the fifth-largest producer globally by the Fertilizer Institute — the country is still a big importer of potassium and other nutrients as farmers rely on a mix of fertilizers to improve crop yields and quality.

More than 25 million tons of fertilizer have entered the country this year so far, according to USDA data last updated Oct. 7. Of the ingredients imported, potassium and urea, which contains a high amount of nitrogen, remain some of the most sought after.

Between April 2025 and March 2026, the U.S. imported about 8.7 million tons of potassium fertilizer. Nearly nine out of every 10 tons came from Canada, Investigate Midwest reported, citing USDA data. During the same period, about 6.1 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer entered the country, with Russia and Canada supplying half of the total.

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