Summary of National 

 Fertilizer Program 



{Editor's Note: Many inquiries have 

 been received regarding the American 

 Farm Bureau Federation's fertilizer pro- 

 gram. Tha' there may be full under- 

 standing, we are reprinting the "Sum- 

 mary of National Fertilizer Program" 

 ti'hich appeared in the Oct. 17 issue of 

 the AFBF official news letter.) 



I. THE NATIONAL PLANT FOOD 

 PROBLEM. 



1. The depletion of the mineral plant 

 foods, especially phosphorous and 

 potassium, from American farm soils 

 is going on at an alarming rate. 

 Over-all ^he annual application of 

 soluble phosphatic and potassic ma- 

 terials must be more than doubled 

 if productive soils are to be main- 

 tained. 



2. Within the United States there are 

 very large natural reserves of raw 

 phosphate and pwtash material which 

 should have adequate exploration, 

 proper development and reasonable 

 conservation for American agricul- 

 ture. 



3. Fertilizer plant capacity to produce 

 and manufacture the needed and 

 concentrated phosphates is woefully 

 inadequate and non-strategically lo- 

 cated. Regardless of location, exist- 

 ing plant capacity for all types of 

 phosphatic fertilizers will produce 

 not to exceed one-half of the re- 

 quirements. Additional domestic 

 potash plant capacity must be ob- 

 tained by very large imports of pot- 

 ash from other countries. 



4. Highly concentrated materials and 

 mixed fertilizer should be available 

 to the farmers so that unnecessary 

 costs can be eliminated and that 

 needed requirements on a net cost 

 basis be decreased in many areas 

 from 25% to 35%. ' 



5. Research by the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture and by the 

 experimental stations in the land 

 grant colleges should be greatly ex- 

 panded. A substantial farm test 

 demonstration program should be 



: made available to the states and 



counties desiring such an educational 



program. It is probable that there 



' are 2,000 counties that should carry 



on test demonstrational programs 



. that would justify the distribution of 



: test fertilizer materials. 



Assistant county agents under 

 Federal and state extension would 

 supervise such demonstrations, help 

 crystalize into action the results of 

 research and assist especially the op- 

 erator of the family sized farm to 

 intelligently utilize the proper fer- 

 tilizer materials in an economic 

 farming program involving soil con- 

 servation. 



6. The existing fertilizer industry needs 

 the wholesome competition of farm 

 cooperatives. These cooperatives 

 should control modest raw material 

 reserve, operate efficient processing 

 plants and direct economic distribu- 

 tion. Such competition will mini- 

 mize unlawful restraints in industry 

 and tend to prevent monopoly. 



II. PROPOSED SOLUTION. THE 

 HILL-BANKHEAD AND FLAN- 

 NAGAN BILLS ARE IDENTI- 

 CAL. THESE BILLS, IF EN- 

 ACTED INTO LAW WITHOUT 

 SUBSTANTIAL REVISION. 

 WOULD ATTEMPT TO MEET 

 THE PROBLEM IN THE FOL- 

 LOWING PARTICULARS: 



1 . The Congress would declare it to be 

 the national j>olicy that the natural 

 reserves of phosphate and f>otash are 

 to be conserved primarily for agri- 

 culture. 



2. A Grass Roots Committee would be 

 created to advise the Congress and 

 the Secretary of Agriculture what 

 measures should be taken, within 

 the law, to improve and maintain 

 soil fertility. 



The programs within states and 

 counties would be carried out by the 

 experiment stations and extension 

 service, so as to have only one pro- 

 gram in each community under the 

 county agent's direction. 



3. The Department of Interior would 

 be charged with the development of 

 an experimental phosphate plant in 

 the inter mountain country on phos- 

 phatic reserves now controlled by 

 the Department of Interior. 



The Department of Interior would 

 also be charged with the develop- 

 ment of a potash plant upon the 

 potash reserves controlled by the 

 Department of Interior. On or be- 

 fore five years, these experimental 

 plants at fair appraised values, are 

 to be sold to federated farmer co- 

 operatives with adequate supporting 



T 



reserves. If not purchased by co- 

 operatives they must be sold to 

 others or closed. 



4. The Tennessee Valley Authority is 

 charged with the construction of an 

 experimental phosphate plant in the 

 Mobile area to draw the raw ma- 

 terials from Florida. Adequate 

 phosphate reserves are to be ac- 

 quired by the Tennessee Valley Au- 

 thority. On or before five years, 

 this experimental plant and the re- 

 serves, at a fair value, are to be sold 

 to a federated farmer cooperative or 

 others and if not sold shall be 

 closed. 



5. The Congress would authorize, sub- 

 ject to annual appropriation, funds 

 for the extension of educational 

 demonstration supervision and dem- 

 onstrational material to be equitably 

 allocated to the states. 



The state extension is to have 

 authority to determine in what man- 

 ner the demonstrational work is to 

 be carried on within the state and 

 the counties of the state. 



This demonstrational work educa- 

 tional program would probably cost 

 $20,000,000 per year for such num- 

 ber of years as it may be needed to 

 get a program of soil management 

 that will be economic and perman- 

 ent. 



6. The Farm Credit Administration . 

 will have authority, under the limita- 

 tions of the act, to make loans on a 

 reasonable basis to federated farm- 

 er cooperatives which would pur- 

 chase the experimental plants from 

 the Tennessee Valley Authority and 

 from, the Department of Interior. 



The Farm Credit Administration 

 would have authority to make loans 

 on a reasonable basis for the acquisi- 

 tion of additional plants, including 

 a nitrogen plant, by cooperatives 

 and for the acquisition of needed re- 

 serves. 



If the cooperatives do not take 

 over the experimental plants within 

 the five year period then the plants 

 will be offered for sale to the public 

 or closed. 



7. The American Farm Bureau Federa- 

 tion is of the opinion that the pro- 

 gram contemplated in the act would 

 step up the application of needed 

 mineral plant foods within a period 

 of ten years. 



To accomplish this objective, the 

 existing fertilizer industry must ex- 

 pand its plant capacity, must retain 

 its existing facilities and must main- 

 tain its mixing and distribution sys- 

 tem. There are 1,100 fertilizer mix- 

 ing operators within the United 

 States. 



These operators, under the con- 



16 



I. A. A. RECORD 



