Én ting er at prisen på kunstgjødsel og bestanddelene for å lage den har gått gjennom taket. I tillegg kommer vedtak som fremstår som uforståelige og uhyggelige. Midt under våronna i USA sier Union Pacific nei til å transportere gjødsel.

Tucker intervjuet en bonde med 1.000 acres som driver med mais og soyabønner, Ben Riensche. Han advarer om at en families matbudsjett kan komme til å gå opp 1000 dollar i måneden. 8000 kroner.

“Soaring fertilizer prices are likely to spike food prices,” Riensche said. “If you’re upset that gas is up a dollar or two a gallon, wait until your grocery bill is up $1000 a month. And it may not manifest itself in terms of price, it could be quantity as well. Empty shelf syndrome must just be starting.”

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure I heard you correctly. Up $1000 a month?” an incredulous Carlson asked.

“Sure,” Riensche responded. “The price of growing my crops, or the major crops, corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, cotton are up 30 to 40%. They are on my farm. And most of it is fertilizer. Nitrogen prices are up 3 times from the left crop we put in. Phosphorous and potassium have doubled.”

@BenRiensche spotting. Worth a watch https://t.co/0ZfRATl2jR

— Dustin Ritter (@DRitter85) March 3, 2022

Dette var i mars.

Nå dette: Midt under våronna sier Union Pacific at de ikke har kapasitet til å transportere kunstgjødsel.

Now this…
A leading manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products was informed Union Pacific rail lines were reducing and limiting shipments of fertilizer during the planting season this year.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF), a leading global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products, today informed customers it serves by Union Pacific rail lines that railroad-mandated shipping reductions would result in nitrogen fertilizer shipment delays during the spring application season and that it would be unable to accept new rail sales involving Union Pacific for the foreseeable future. The Company understands that it is one of only 30 companies to face these restrictions.

CF Industries ships to customers via Union Pacific rail lines primarily from its Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana and its Port Neal Complex in Iowa. The rail lines serve key agricultural areas such as Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and California. Products that will be affected include nitrogen fertilizers such as urea and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) as well as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), an emissions control product required for diesel trucks. CF Industries is the largest producer of urea, UAN and DEF in North America, and its Donaldsonville Complex is the largest single production facility for the products in North America.

En slik plutselig beskjed rett foran våronna er uforståelig og skremmende. Det gis ingen begrunnelse.

“The timing of this action by Union Pacific could not come at a worse time for farmers,” said Tony Will, president and chief executive officer, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. “Not only will fertilizer be delayed by these shipping restrictions, but additional fertilizer needed to complete spring applications may be unable to reach farmers at all. By placing this arbitrary restriction on just a handful of shippers, Union Pacific is jeopardizing farmers’ harvests and increasing the cost of food for consumers.”

On Friday, April 8, 2022, Union Pacific informed CF Industries without advance notice that it was mandating certain shippers to reduce the volume of private cars on its railroad effective immediately. The Company was told to reduce its shipments by nearly 20%. CF Industries believes it will still be able to fulfill delivery of product already contracted for rail shipment to Union Pacific destinations, albeit with likely delays. However, because Union Pacific has told the Company that noncompliance will result in the embargo of its facilities by the railroad, CF Industries may not have available shipping capacity to take new rail orders involving Union Pacific rail lines to meet late season demand for fertilizer.

More here.

Det kan nesten virke som om noen ønsker å krisemaksimere en allerede vanskelig situasjon.

Man kan også lure på hvorfor ikke Sandra Borch for lengst har kommet med håndfaste løfter til bøndene med tidsfrister for utbetaling av støtte. Dagsrevyen viste en bonde som hadde fått doblet prisen på kunstgjødsel fra 240.000 for gjødsla til nærmere det dobbelte. Slike investeringer tør ikke bøndene ta uten å ha staten i ryggen.

Så hvorfor nøler Sandra Borch fra Senterpartiet?

What Is Going On? Union Pacific Railroad Begins Restricting Rail Shipments of Nitrogen Based Fertilizer During Spring Planting Season