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April 2007
Dear <>,
This is a busy time for our farm families as producers are entering a new planting season and working to get seeds in the ground. As a lifelong farmer, I understand the challenges facing our agriculture community and want to update you on my ongoing effort to help farmers in Arkansas and throughout the nation.
As you are aware, Arkansas producers have experienced a number of hardships over the past few years. One of the biggest issues affecting the farming community is the increase in fertilizer prices which have contributed to skyrocketing input costs.
Because of this problem, I have reintroduced two bills in Congress which would suspend the import duties on urea and ammonium nitrate fertilizers and lower the price of fertilizer for America's farmers.
Imports of urea from Russia and the Ukraine have been subject to a 68% duty since 1987, which has made the importation of Russian and Ukrainian urea economically prohibitive. Russian imports of ammonium nitrate (AN) have been restricted under an agreement which limits the volume of Russian AN imports into the U.S. and sets a minimum price for these imports.
With the significant reduction in domestic urea and AN fertilizer production, the U.S. marketplace will continue to face tight supply conditions and dramatic price increases. Additional imports into the United States are absolutely necessary to meet current demand. Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's largest producers of urea and ammonium nitrate fertilizer that can help alleviate the supply issue and make both fertilizer products more affordable for our nation's farmers.
The First Congressional district is one of the top farming districts in the entire country, ranking number one in rice production, number four in cotton, and among the top ten for soybeans. Arkansas should be proud of its strong farm economy, and its long-standing tradition of providing a safe, and secure food and fiber supply for America's consumers.
I will continue to fight for Arkansas farmers, and encourage each of you to contact my congressional staff with any concerns you may have regarding the livelihood of your family and your business at 800-866-2701.
 Sincerely,
Marion Berry
U.S. Congressman
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