Florida’s agriculture and mining industries suffered a major win when the Interior Department added phosphate to the federal Critical Minerals List.
That’s a move U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack, a Gainesville Republican, and Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, have pursued this most recently as co-signatories of a bipartisan letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Meanwhile, Mosaic has pursued the designation, which means phosphate is now considered vital to the nation’s economy and national security.
Franklin said the move was a win for recognizing phosphate’s value to agriculture nationwide.
“America cannot be food secure if it relies on adversaries for the minerals that feed our farms. Adding phosphate to the Critical Minerals List strengthens our security and affirms its essential role in fertilizer production for growers across the country,” Franklin said.
Of course, the Sunshine State also hosts major phosphate producers. That puts Florida on a short list of states where the mineral is mined, along with Idaho, North Carolina and Utah.
“This official designation strengthens national security, reduces supply chain risks, and supports long-term economic growth,” reads a statement from Mosaic. “Of the 60 minerals now listed, The Mosaic Company produces eight — including five rare earth elements found in phosphogypsum.”
Mosaic lobbied the administration on the issue, working with Florida-based Ballard Partners.
Cammack crafted a letter in April, signed by numerous members of the delegation, seeking to add phosphate and reinstate potash, another fertilizer ingredient. That letter was bipartisan, led in the House with Rep. Jimmy Panetta, a California Democrat.
“Potash and phosphate are essential to growing the food that sustains our nation,” Cammack said. “Our farmers in Florida rely on these minerals to ensure soil fertility and high crop yields that feed our state and nation. It’s important we ensure their availability so our producers have the tools needed to continue their important work.”
Besides Franklin and Cammack, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster.
Franklin reiterated the value of the win for agriculture as a whole.
“Florida’s Heartland is central to this effort. Our state holds the largest phosphate reserve in the nation. Producers in our region support good jobs and ensure farmers have the inputs needed to grow crops and keep food production steady. This designation recognizes the work done here and provides long-term cost certainty for our agriculture community,” Franklin said.
“Florida also holds valuable rare earth reserves that can meet future national needs. Expanding domestic production reduces foreign leverage and shields our producers from supply chain disruptions and price spikes that burden American families. I will keep working to ensure our country remains secure and in control of its own supply.”