U.S. Department of Agriculture Kansas Director for Rural Development Christy Davis said that USDA is investing $2.3 million to expand dry fertilizer production in Columbus.
The investment is being made through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP) which helps facilities expand innovative fertilizer production. FPEP is funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation and provides funding to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more.
“When we invest in domestic fertilizer production, we drive down input costs and increase options for farmers,” Davis said. “In-state fertilizer production creates Kansas jobs.”
Today’s announcement is part of a larger national announcement which includes projects in eight other states. The details of the Kansas project are: — A $2,311,391 grant will help the Farmers Co-operative, an independent, member-owned cooperative, in Columbus expand an existing dry fertilizer facility with additional storage and processing capacity. The expansion will improve the efficiency of order processing and expand services to include dust suppression to reduce run-off. The expansion will increase dry fertilizer production to 24,500 tons per year.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas.
