May 17, 2018Midwest experiences fertilizer shortage
Due to spring storms in the Midwest this year, the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association said, farmers who typically would have been in the field earlier had to wait for the snow to melt. The group said that has caused farmers from multiple states to try and to get into the field at the same time, causing a fertilizer shortage.
“North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin utilize some of the same resources for fertilizer,” North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “Everyone is trying to use the same trucks, facilities and manufacturers and it is creating a supply issue.”
Goehring told the NPPGA that he has spoken with fertilizer plant managers who have said they have never experienced a shortage to this degree before.
“They sympathize with their customers and feel the same level of anxiety and frustration. They are trying to find a way to supply the demand,” Goehring said. “Please be patient and understanding. They have indicated they would like to sell it if they had it.”
Goehring has been working on this issue over the last week and is discussing options with Governor Burgum.
“Producers may want to consider some different options such as top dressing later or switching crops and coming back as supply returns,” Goehring said. “We believe that this is a short-term problem and will begin to correct itself within the next two weeks.”
