Agri-Pulse reports:
Washington, DC — Input costs will be the focus of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today.
The hearing’s title gives some idea of what to expect from Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley. It’s called, “Pressure Cooker: Competition in the Seed & Fertilizer Industries.”
Corey Rosenbusch, CEO of The Fertilizer Institute, and Andy LaVigne, president and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association, will testify, as will Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association.
Others testifying include:
Noah Coppess, Farmer, Coppess Family Farms, Stanwood, IA
John Latham, President, Latham Seeds, Alexander, IA
Diana Moss, Vice President and Director of Competition Policy
Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, DC
The congressional scrutiny comes as the Trump administration says it will look at what’s behind higher production costs facing farmers, including potential antitrust issues.
The Fertilizer Institute on Monday called for a national policy to boost domestic crop nutrient production to help growers facing unstable global fertilizer supply chains. TFI said it also wants a full-time fertilizer economist at USDA to help monitor the market and improve transparency.
The hearing can be viewed here. It begins at 10:15am EDT.
Also, see our Agri-Pulse Newsmakers featuring Andy LaVigne here.
