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The looming acquisition of Iowa Fertilizer Company by Koch Industries, planned for a staggering $3.6 billion, promises to exacerbate the plight of farmers in the region. Once hailed as a beacon of competition, this plant was originally built using taxpayer subsidization aimed at leveling the playing field. As Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand warned, this merger could create a monopoly that will ultimately inflate costs for farmers who have already been squeezed by rising fertilizer prices.