FTC Chairman Announces Major Fertilizer Investigation at "Fed Up" Event

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson announced that the Commission has launched a major industry-wide investigation into the fertilizer industry's pricing practices and market concentration — including compulsory process. The announcement came on May 28, 2026, at "Fed Up: Fertilizer Cartel Profits on Farmers' Backs and Your Grocery Bill," an event that brought together farmers from 18 states on a North Texas farm. "USDA data has shown the single largest increase in input costs of farmers across the United States since 2020 has come from fertilizer," Chairman Ferguson said. "These continued price increases are not something our nation, much less our farmers, can continue to ignore." Fertilizer prices have surged more than 150% since 2020, while net farm income has fallen 31% from its 2022 peak. The companies that dominate the market — Mosaic, Nutrien, CF Industries and Koch — returned more than $20 billion to shareholders over the last five years, even as farm bankruptcies doubled. The FTC has committed to protecting the confidentiality of anyone who comes forward with information. If you are a farmer, retailer, or anyone in the agricultural supply chain with information about fertilizer pricing practices, contact the FTC directly at [email protected]. Learn more about Texas Corn Producers' work on fertilizer pricing: https://bit.ly/4vAANhJ #FedUp #FertilizerCartel #FTC #FarmPolicy #TexasCorn