US deputy farm secretary to meet with Mosaic amid high fertilizer prices

ReutersApr 13, 2026 9:32 PM

By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden will meet with fertilizer company Mosaic MOS.N this week, he told journalists on Monday, as the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran drives up fertilizer prices for farmers already facing a sagging farm economy.

Vaden criticized Mosaic's announcement last week that it plans to idle two phosphate production facilities in Brazil as part of a cost-saving initiative. The company said the move would reduce its annual phosphate production by about 1 million tonnes.

"What possible motivation other than further constraining supply, sowing uncertainty and padding their already sufficient profit margins could they possibly have?" Vaden said at a meeting of the North American Agricultural Journalists.
Vaden has spoken with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission about fertilizer prices and met with fertilizer company Nutrien NTR.TO a few weeks ago, he said.
President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on April 11 that "the United States will not accept price gouging from the fertilizer monopoly" during the war with Iran, after which Mosaic posted to X that fertilizer prices are driven by supply and demand, weather, geopolitical conditions and other factors
"So disappointed in this response," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted to X on Monday, referring to Mosaic's post
Mosaic did not immediately respond to a request for comment

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