On January 21, 2026, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden publicly accused Nutrien and Mosaic of acting together to restrict U.S. fertilizer supply and push up farmers’ costs. Those are allegations, not a court finding or an official determination of unlawful conduct. As of the most recent filing cited here, the companies’ conduct is the subject of private antitrust lawsuits that a federal panel consolidated for pretrial proceedings in Kansas on June 9, 2026. Mosaic says it disputes the allegations.
What Vaden said
Agri-Pulse reporter Oliver Ward reported that Vaden made the remarks during a webinar hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center. Vaden described Nutrien and Mosaic as a “duopoly,” said they were restricting fertilizer supply, and said this was raising costs for farmers. He also singled out Canpotex, the Canadian potash export and marketing venture in which both companies take part. Agri-Pulse’s headline described Vaden as hinting at future action, but the reporting does not say what that action would be.
The central line Agri-Pulse quoted from Vaden was: “This administration is going to do everything it can to ensure that farmers have the fertilizer [they] need, at a price that they can pay.”
The counterpoint from the market
Agri-Pulse also quoted fertilizer consultant Doug Wright, who said: “I don’t think it’s as coordinated as what some of the fingers are trying to point at.” Wright’s point was not a defense of the companies. He argued that fewer companies in a market can still mean less competition and higher prices, whether or not any coordination takes place. That is an analysis of market structure, not a finding about Nutrien or Mosaic.
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The market-share figures, and where they come from
Two figures circulated in coverage of the accusation. Both are attributed to Farm Action, an advocacy group, and neither was independently calculated by the news outlets that repeated them.
| Figure | Attributed to | What it measures | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 90% of North American phosphate fertilizer and potash production | Farm Action, as reported by Agri-Pulse and University of Illinois Farm Policy News | Production in 2024, referring to Nutrien and Mosaic together | Attributed claim; not verified as an independent calculation |
| 70% of crop-input sales controlled by seven companies | Farm Action, in a 2026 report, as reported by Agri-Pulse | Distribution of crop-input sales; Agri-Pulse noted Nutrien Ag Solutions as Nutrien’s retail business | Attributed claim; does not establish that all fertilizer distribution is controlled by those firms |
The first figure is a production-share claim about two specific phosphate and potash markets in a single year. The second is a sales-share claim about crop inputs more broadly. Neither figure, as reported, shows that prices were set jointly.
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Mosaic’s disclosures and the role of Canpotex
Mosaic’s SEC filings describe the company as producing and marketing concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. Its potash segment includes Canadian production. Mosaic is a member of Canpotex, through which it sells Canadian potash outside the United States and Canada. Canpotex is therefore a sales channel for the export market, and the filing describes it that way. The filing does not address Vaden’s allegations about the venture, and it does not show unlawful conduct.
What has happened in court since
Class actions beginning in March 2026
Mosaic’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, reports that several putative antitrust class actions were filed beginning in March 2026 against Mosaic and other fertilizer producers. The complaints generally allege anticompetitive conduct involving pricing and sales of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizers in the United States. The filing excerpt cited here names Mosaic as a defendant. It does not establish whether Nutrien is a defendant in these cases, so readers should not assume it is from this source alone.
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Consolidation in the District of Kansas
According to the 10-Q, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the actions for coordinated pretrial proceedings in the District of Kansas on June 9, 2026, before Judge Eric F. Melgren. The Panel’s transfer order names the matter In re: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK) Fertilizer Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 3187. The order describes the shared factual questions as allegations that defendants conspired to reduce competition or raise or fix prices.
Centralization is a case-management step that places related lawsuits before one judge so that pretrial matters are handled together. It is not a ruling on liability, and the sources reviewed here contain no trial date, settlement, or merits decision.
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The government investigation
The sources reviewed here do not verify whether the Department of Justice has opened, closed, or acted on an investigation into the companies. Nothing in the cited material establishes that enforcement has occurred. Any report on that question should be checked against a current, authoritative government source.
How to read each claim
| Claim | Who made it | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutrien and Mosaic are a “duopoly” that restricts supply | Stephen Vaden, USDA Deputy Secretary, January 21, 2026 | A senior official’s public position | Any finding of unlawful conduct by a court or agency |
| Over 90% of North American phosphate and potash production (2024) | Farm Action, as relayed by Agri-Pulse and University of Illinois Farm Policy News | An advocacy group’s share figure for a defined market and year | That the companies coordinated prices |
| Fewer competitors can raise prices | Doug Wright, fertilizer consultant | A general market-structure argument | That the named companies acted together |
| Private class actions allege anticompetitive pricing | Plaintiffs, as described in Mosaic’s 10-Q | That complaints were filed and consolidated | That the allegations are true |
| Mosaic disputes the allegations | Mosaic Company | The company’s stated position | Whether the company’s position will prevail |
What this means for your budget
If you farm, or you pay for fertilizer through a business or a farm operation, the accusation does not change your costs on its own. Price moves come from many inputs, and the sources reviewed here do not quantify how much of any price change, if any, stems from the alleged conduct.
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- Base fertilizer line items on your own supplier invoices and quotes, not on headlines about market share.
- Treat any eventual court outcome or settlement as an uncertain future event with no date in the sources reviewed.
- Keep a note of the source and date for any fertilizer price claim you rely on, since allegations, filings and rulings are different kinds of evidence.
Timeline of what is documented
- January 21, 2026: Vaden makes the public accusations at a National Agricultural Law Center webinar, as reported by Agri-Pulse.
- January 26, 2026: University of Illinois Farm Policy News summarizes the accusation and relays the Farm Action attribution.
- March 2026: Putative antitrust class actions begin to be filed against Mosaic and other fertilizer producers, according to Mosaic’s 10-Q.
- June 9, 2026: The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralizes the cases as MDL No. 3187 in the District of Kansas.
- Quarter ended June 30, 2026: Mosaic’s 10-Q discloses the litigation and states that it disputes the allegations and intends to defend the cases.
Sources for this article: Agri-Pulse, “Vaden takes aim at Mosaic, Nutrien ‘duopoly,’ hints at future action,” by Oliver Ward, January 21, 2026; University of Illinois Farm Policy News, “USDA’s Vaden Accuses Nutrien, Mosaic of Fertilizer Price Collusion,” by Ryan Hanrahan, January 26, 2026; The Mosaic Company Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026; and U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transfer order for MDL No. 3187, June 9, 2026.
Readers should keep the distinctions straight: the accusation is a public allegation, the market-share figures are attributed claims, the consolidation is a procedural step, and no court has decided whether the companies violated antitrust law.
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