A coalition of corn grower associations has sent a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, urging an expedited investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into the fertilizer industry for what they term "impossibly high input costs." The letter specifically references reports of a DOJ investigation into potential collusion among major fertilizer companies, including The Mosaic Company.
This development follows a confirmation in May by the FTC that it was also investigating anticompetitive practices in the consolidated fertilizer sector. The letter from growers expresses that while investigations are welcome, decisive action is needed to restore fair markets. The issue has been compounded by recent global events, but the letter asserts the problem of high prices has been developing for years due to a lack of antitrust enforcement.