OCP and CHS Inc. to build $450 million fertiliser plant in Louisiana

OCP North America and CHS Inc., the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the United States, have announced a joint venture to construct a $450 million phosphate fertiliser plant in Waggaman, Louisiana. Located within the Cornerstone Energy Park near New Orleans, the facility is expected to produce more than one million metric tonnes of phosphate-based fertiliser annually.

The project aims to integrate Moroccan industrial capacity directly into the American agricultural supply chain. Under the proposed arrangement, OCP Group would supply the necessary phosphoric acid, which the Louisiana facility would then convert into finished fertilisers for distribution. This move follows a shift in U.S. trade policy where the Trump administration temporarily lifted tariffs on Moroccan fertiliser to address supply concerns.

The investment marks the first such facility established in the U.S. since 1984. Officials, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, have indicated support for the project, which seeks to enhance domestic self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported finished fertilisers.