LONDON, Aug 27 – Morocco’s OCP Group and CHS Inc., the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the United States, are planning a joint venture to build a phosphate fertiliser production facility in Louisiana, marking a significant expansion of Moroccan fertiliser production into the US market.
The project, which will involve an investment of up to $450 million, is planned for the Cornerstone Energy Park in Waggaman, Louisiana, according to OCP. The facility would be the first phosphate fertiliser plant of its kind constructed in the United States since 1984.
Once operational, the plant is expected to produce more than 1 million metric tonnes of phosphate-based fertiliser each year. OCP North America, the US subsidiary of Moroccan phosphate producer OCP Group, will partner with CHS, a farmer-owned cooperative with operations across the US agricultural supply chain.
Under the proposed arrangement, OCP Group would provide phosphoric acid to the Louisiana facility, while OCP North America and CHS would jointly distribute the finished fertiliser products.
The investment comes as the US fertiliser market faces supply-chain pressures and heightened geopolitical risks. In June, US President Donald Trump authorised a temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertiliser imported from Morocco, a measure intended to help address supply disruptions associated with the conflict involving Iran.
The proposed Louisiana facility would give OCP a larger production and distribution footprint within the US market while strengthening CHS’s access to phosphate-based fertiliser supplies. For the US agricultural sector, domestic production could also help diversify supply sources and reduce exposure to disruptions affecting international fertiliser trade.
The project forms part of OCP Group’s broader expansion in phosphate-based fertiliser production. The Moroccan company has increased its production capacity substantially over the past two decades, reaching 16 million metric tonnes in 2025 from 3 million metric tonnes in 2008.
OCP is the world’s largest producer of phosphate-based fertilisers, with Morocco holding some of the world’s largest phosphate reserves. The group’s growing production capacity has supported its expansion into international agricultural markets as demand for crop nutrients remains closely linked to global food production and food-security concerns.
The proposed Louisiana investment therefore extends an existing transatlantic fertiliser relationship into local production. If completed, the facility would combine OCP’s phosphate and phosphoric acid supply capabilities with CHS’s established agricultural distribution network, creating additional capacity in one of the world’s largest agricultural markets.
