Two Key Rice Nutrients - Phosphate And Potash - Now Classified As Critical Minerals
USA Rice
WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) finalized its list of what the U.S. government classifies as a “critical mineral,” including phosphate and potash – both key inputs for U.S. rice farmers.
The Energy Act of 2020 defines critical minerals as commodities essential to the economic or national security of the United States, have a supply chain vulnerable to disruption, and serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product.
The list is designed to guide federal strategy and investment to secure the minerals needed to drive the U.S. economy and protect national security. By recognizing phosphate and potash as critical, the Administration has signaled increased awareness and action to ensure a stable supply – critically important since nutrient availability serves as an essential function of both crop quality and yields, further impacting input cost volatility.
“For rice farmers, both phosphate and potash are as critical as having water,” said Fred Zaunbrecher, a Louisiana rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors. “These are vital nutrients the plant needs for grain formation, quality, and overall plant health. Given our reliance on these import-heavy nutrients, a shortage or disruption to the supply would directly reduce yields, lower the quality, and threaten the economic viability of farming rice here in the United States. Without these two key inputs, our farmers would not be able to produce a crop, period.”
In his first term in 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order to analyze and address the vulnerability of supply chains for critical minerals. The Energy Act of 2020 further spelled out the process for updating a list of critical minerals every three years. Earlier this summer, the DOI, through the U.S. Geological Survey, released a draft list and a report that outlined a new model for assessing how potential supply chain disruptions could affect the U.S. economy. Potash was included as one mineral that had the greatest vulnerability in its supply chain. While the draft list rightfully included potash, it failed to include phosphate. USA Rice joined a small coalition of U.S. agricultural producers advocating for the inclusion of phosphate in the final list.
“We applaud the Trump Administration for taking steps to ensure a reliable and resilient supply chain for American farmers through the recently announced agreements with our trading partners," Zaunbrecher said.
Earlier this fall, USA Rice also supported efforts led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to add phosphate to the critical mineral list for the first time.