The U.S. has added two compounds used to fertilize crops to its critical minerals list: potash and phosphate.
The designation could help lower prices for what Wyoming farmer Todd Fornstrom calls critical “plant food.”
“So if you don't have plant food, your crops are gonna suffer because of it,” said Fornstrom, who leads the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and grows alfalfa, wheat, corn and dry beans in southeast Wyoming.
Potash is largely imported from Canada, along with Russia and Belarus. A lot of phosphate is produced in the U.S. in Florida, North Dakota, Utah and Idaho, but some comes from China and other countries.
Fornstrom said changing trade policies coupled with high interest rates have meant big price swings for the average American farmer.
“It would be like dealing with an electrical bill at the beginning of the year at $80 and at the end of the year it's $200,” he said.
Adding the minerals to the federal 2025 List of Critical Minerals could mean streamlining mining permits domestically, along with more protections for the global supply chain.
This comes after a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers pushed to add the minerals to the list. That includes Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming).
“For months, I worked with my colleagues to ensure that phosphate and potash were recognized for what they are, indispensable agricultural inputs that keep our soil fertile, our farmers productive, and our food supply secure,” Hageman said in a Nov. 9 newsletter.
Lawmakers from Idaho, Utah and Montana also pushed to add the compounds to the list.
The federal government also included copper, uranium and metallurgical coal.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
