Chris Jahn, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute, kicked off Infrastructure Week 2019 in mid-May with a plea to lawmakers to get a funding package together and get it passed so that the U.S. economy can continue to grow.

“Last year at this time I was participating in an Infrastructure Week kick-off event along with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and we were in agreement on the sorry state of our country’s infrastructure, particularly in rural America,” Jahn said. “We talked about delays in the Dakotas due to bottlenecks and how that adds to the price consumers end up paying for food. Unfortunately, this year is even worse as much of the Midwest is dealing with historic flooding that overwhelmed outdated dikes and flood management systems. This critical infrastructure wasn’t built to last this long and should have been replaced or updated decades ago.”

Jahn was adamant that we can no longer kick the can down the road. “We have farmers who are in need of fertilizer right at this moment and who don’t have the luxury of waiting for days or even weeks before deliveries arrive. Critical infrastructure failures pose a serious challenge to agribusinesses around the nation.”
Getting fertilizer to farmers where and when they need it is crucial for crop yields and the rural economy, he said.

“We urge a bipartisan effort to fix the roads, the levies, the ports and harbors and all the modes of transport that fertilizer depends on to get where it is needed,” Jahn said. “We simply must address this issue before it gets any worse. The time to invest in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure is now.”

Infrastructure Week is an annual week of education and advocacy that brings together American businesses, workers, elected leaders, and everyday citizens to elevate infrastructure investment as a critical issue impacting America’s economy, society, security and future. It runs from May 13 to May 20 this year.

The Fertilizer Institute is the leading voice of the nation’s fertilizer industry. Tracing its roots back to 1883, TFI’s membership includes fertilizer producers, wholesalers, retailers and trading firms.

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