U.S. Representative Mike Bost has announced nearly $35 million in federal funding to support a major expansion of a fertilizer manufacturing facility in Southern Illinois.
The $34.9 million investment will support a nearly $70 million expansion of SUL4R-PLUS Illinois, a sulfur fertilizer manufacturing facility located in Marissa, in St. Clair County.
Bost says the project represents a significant investment in Southern Illinois agriculture, manufacturing and economic development.
The congressman said expanding domestic fertilizer production will help reduce dependence on foreign suppliers while providing farmers with greater access to agricultural resources.
The funding was announced by Vice President J.D. Vance and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fertilizer Investment and Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply, or FIELDS, Program.
The federal initiative is designed to strengthen domestic fertilizer manufacturing, improve agricultural supply chains and reduce reliance on imported fertilizer products.
Bost previously sent a letter to the Trump administration urging federal support for the Marissa expansion.
The Southern Illinois facility is one of eight fertilizer manufacturing projects selected nationwide through the program.
Together, the eight projects represent more than $1.34 billion in proposed investments, including approximately $573 million in proposed USDA funding.
The expansion could have implications for farmers throughout Southern Illinois, including those in Wayne, Edwards, White, Hamilton, Clay and surrounding counties, where agriculture remains a major part of the regional economy.
Bost said he looks forward to the project’s long-term impact on job growth, manufacturing and the agricultural industry.
The announcement did not specify how many new jobs the Marissa expansion is expected to create or when construction will begin.