Homegrown Fertilizer Act

Grants and loans for fertilizer makers

If enacted, the Department of Agriculture would create a program to give grants and direct or guaranteed loans to expand U.S. fertilizer and nutrient alternative manufacturing, processing, and storage. Grants could be up to $100,000,000 per project and must be matched dollar-for-dollar with non-Federal funds. Loans would generally follow existing business and industry loan rules and projects would usually last no more than five years, with possible extensions. Eligible applicants would include for-profit businesses, nonprofits, producer cooperatives, certified benefit corporations, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, and State or local governments located in the United States that meet regulatory rules and certify they do not hold a fourth-largest-or-higher market share. The Secretary would prioritize projects that add U.S. capacity, improve fertilizer technologies or efficiency, or increase competition and lower price volatility. The program would allow Commodity Credit Corporation funds to be used, and would require full repayment if a funded facility or most assets are sold within ten years to an entity holding at least the fourth-largest market share.