The North Dakota Grain Growers Association is urging federal policymakers to expand the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program to include on-farm fertilizer storage, helping strengthen the fertilizer supply chain and ensure farmers have reliable access to critical crop nutrients.
As crop yields across U.S. farms continue to increase, so does the need for fertilizer to replace nutrients removed from the soil. However, domestic fertilizer production has not kept pace with demand, leaving farmers dependent on imported products and a supply chain that can be vulnerable to logistics delays, weather disruptions, and transportation shortages.
During peak planting and application seasons, limited storage capacity across the fertilizer distribution system can lead to delays that prevent farmers from applying nutrients at the optimal time.
“Fertilizer is essential to modern agriculture, and farmers need reliable access to these products when timing matters most,” said Ed Kessel, NDGGA Past President. “Increasing on-farm storage would reduce pressure on the supply chain and help farmers ensure nutrients are available when they need them.”
NDGGA is proposing that the FSFL program be expanded to support financing for fertilizer storage infrastructure, including dry fertilizer bins, flat storage, fertilizer blenders, liquid fertilizer tanks, anhydrous ammonia pressure vessels, and supporting equipment such as foundations, electrical systems, conveyors, plumbing, piping, and pumps.
The association also recommends implementing a simple electronic application process to make the program more accessible for farmers.
Expanding the FSFL program to include fertilizer storage would allow producers to store product on their farms, apply nutrients on time, and potentially purchase fertilizer during off-season periods when prices are lower.
NDGGA news release
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