CHS and OCP North America are announcing a joint venture to build a phosphate fertilizer plant in Louisiana. CHS CEO Jay Deberton says this is an exciting moment for US agriculture. “It’s going to be the first plant of its kind that has been constructed in the United States since 1984; it’s a good-sized plant that will make a real impact in phosphate production.” This facility will have the capacity of up to 1.3 million metric tons. This investment in this project is expected to total $450 million. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year and be operational in two years. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Deputy Secretary Stephen Baden participated in the New Orleans announcement. “The Secretary has been a big proponent of looking for ways to bring manufacturing here to the States around fertilizer production for the benefit of farmers and the benefit of US agriculture, and we’re one of the largest examples of an ability to do that.” Deberton emphasized that the fertilizer produced at this plant will be on barges moving up the Mississippi River, put on trucks, and will end up on farms throughout the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Listen to the RRFN interview.
