In the news affecting dairy farms the third week of March 2026:
- Class action lawsuit alleges price fixing in the U.S. fertilizer industry
- Most of the U.S. rented farmland is owned by non-farmers
- U.S.-Ecuador agreement improves access to tightly restricted dairy market
- National Dairy Board scholarship applications being accepted
- DCHA awards two $2,000 scholarships
Class action lawsuit alleges price fixing in the U.S. fertilizer industry
DiCello Levitt, along with co-counsel Olson Grimsley Kawanabe Hinchcliff & Murray LLC, has filed an antitrust class action lawsuit alleging that the nation’s largest fertilizer producers conspired to fix, raise and maintain prices for critical agricultural fertilizers, forcing U.S. farmers to pay artificially inflated prices.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the complaint alleges a coordinated scheme to restrain competition in the markets for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (potash) fertilizers – collectively known as NPK fertilizers.
The lawsuit names the following defendants: The Mosaic Company, Nutrien Ltd., Nutrien Ag Solutions Inc., CF Industries Holdings Inc., CF Industries Inc., CF Industries Nitrogen LLC, Koch Agronomic Services LLC, Yara International ASA, Yara North America Inc. and Canpotex LTD.
“Most people will never think about the cost of fertilizer, but American farmers live with it every day,” said Greg Asciolla, partner and chair of DiCello Levitt’s Antitrust and Competition Litigation Practice. “When prices for an essential input are artificially inflated, the impact falls squarely on farmers and ripples across the food system. This case is about restoring competition in a market that is foundational to American agriculture.”
According to the complaint, beginning no later than January 2021, defendants exploited their dominant market positions to restrict output, maintain “capacity discipline” and manage supply in ways that drove fertilizer prices to unprecedented levels. During the 2021-22 price spike, U.S. farmers paid more than 60% higher prices for fertilizer inputs – an increase that added an estimated $128,000 in costs per farm in 2022 – while defendants reported record profits.
The lawsuit alleges that fertilizer prices soared far beyond historical norms and remained elevated even after defendants’ claimed justifications – such as global supply disruptions and increased input costs – had subsided. The complaint further notes that federal officials have publicly raised concerns about competition in the fertilizer industry and that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has reportedly recently opened an investigation into potential collusion among major fertilizer producers.
The action is brought on behalf of a proposed nationwide class of all persons and entities that purchased NPK fertilizers directly from defendants since Jan. 1, 2021. The lawsuit asserts claims under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act and seeks treble damages, injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, attorneys’ fees and costs.
Most of the U.S. rented farmland is owned by non-farmers
Over 2 million landowners rented out 348 million acres of farmland, according to the results of the 2024 Tenure, Ownership and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey released by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Of these acres, 79% are owned by non-farming landlords.
Non-operating landlords include entities who rent out agricultural land under a variety of ownership arrangements (privately owned, trust, family entity, non-family entity or other). Of the land rented out by non-operating landlords, over 251 million acres were rented out by private landowners, trusts or family entities.
According to the survey results, rented farmland acres, combined with buildings on this land, are valued at more than $1.6 trillion. In 2024, landlords combined received $34.1 billion in rental income while incurring $12 billion in total operating expenses.
“About 5 percent of the nearly 900 million U.S. farmland acres, or about 43 million acres, is slated for ownership transfer in the next five years, not including farmland that is in or is expected to be put into wills or trusts,” said Joseph L. Parsons, NASS administrator.
Only 23 million acres of land are expected to be sold to a non-relative, while 20 million acres are expected to be sold to a relative or given as a gift. This means that only a small percentage of farmland will be available for purchase.
TOTAL also provides a glimpse into demographic information for 1.8 million non-farming entities, also known as principal landlords. According to the findings, the average age of these landlords is 69.2 years old. This age exceeds that of the average farmer, who is 58.1 years old, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Only 12% of all principal landlords were under 55 years old. Nearly 52% of all the principal landlords have never farmed.
U.S.-Ecuador agreement improves access to tightly restricted dairy market
The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) praised the March 13 signing of a U.S.-Ecuador agreement on reciprocal trade. The agreement would improve export opportunities for U.S. dairy products in a market that has been plagued by restrictive tariffs and nontariff trade barriers.
The deal is slated to eliminate tariffs on several U.S. dairy products; recognize U.S. regulatory oversight, including commitments to eliminate facility listing requirements and accept dairy certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities; overhaul Ecuador’s burdensome import licensing system for agricultural products; and protect 40 common cheese names like Parmesan. U.S. dairy exporters have faced challenges in these areas in this market.
“Ecuador has long been a difficult market for U.S. dairy exporters to crack,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “This agreement puts in place the strong nontariff disciplines needed for U.S. dairy exporters of ingredients and various cheeses to make headway in growing their sales to Ecuador, while also improving the tariff landscape in this market.”
The agreement is the 10th trade deal secured to date by the administration that includes new market access for U.S. dairy products.
National Dairy Board scholarship applications being accepted
Applications are being accepted for college scholarships that are awarded by America’s dairy farmers and importers through the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB).
Eleven scholarships worth $2,500 each will be awarded, in addition to a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding recipient. NDB funds, in part, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program.
Undergraduate students in their sophomore through senior year for the 2025-26 academic school year and enrolled in college/university programs that emphasize dairy are eligible. Relevant majors may include communications/public relations, journalism, marketing, business, economics, nutrition, food science and agriculture education.
Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, an interest in a career in a dairy-related discipline and demonstrated leadership, initiative and integrity. Candidates must complete an application form, submit an official transcript of all college courses and write a short statement describing their career aspirations, dairy-related activities and work experiences.
Applications can be found online. Completed applications must be received no later than May 15 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Questions about the program can be emailed to the National Dairy Board.
DCHA awards two $2,000 scholarships
Kathryn Rittmeyer, a junior studying animal science at Kansas State University, and Antonio Silva, a doctor of veterinary medicine student at Texas A&M University, earned the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) $2,000 scholarships. The DCHA scholarship program recognizes outstanding students pursuing a degree in agriculture, with a particular interest in calf health, welfare and future productivity.
A native of Markle, Indiana, Rittmeyer interned with Rediger Farms Inc., Geneva, Indiana, last year. As the farm’s intern, she organized and created a systematic pen location inventory in DairyComp 305 for all calves, which improved farm data accuracy and assisted the herd veterinarian during lung ultrasounds, which included marking pens, administering antibiotics based on ultrasound scores, and recording results. Also, she collaborated with the calf and heifer specialist, which involved monitoring feed and water quality and milk solids percentages, and performed navel health checks on young calves. This summer, she will intern with MVP Dairy LLC, Celina, Ohio. Her duties will include milking parlor operations, dairy nutrition management, maternity pen work and animal welfare audits.
Silva earned his bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University. His work experience includes an internship at Mendes Calf Ranch in Tipton and Pixley, California, working as a Texas Equine Hospital veterinary technician in Bryan, Texas; and herdsman at A.B. Ranch, Stephenville, Texas. As the Mendes Calf Ranch intern, he designed product trials, applied products, collected and analyzed data, assisted herdsmen with treatments, sorting, receiving, shipping and daily husbandry tasks, processed cattle for vaccination, identification, hormone implantation and treatment, and assisted veterinarians with liver biopsies, pregnancy diagnosis and breeding soundness exams.
