(NAFB) – The Fertilizer Institute is grateful to members of the Presidential Emergency Board who listened to rail carriers and their labor unions amid their contract negotiations.

The PEB offered measured recommendations on a pending contract agreement between the two. Both sides have until September 16 to evaluate the PEB’s recommendations during a mandated 30-day cooling-off period. The board’s recommendations include general wage increases and service recognition bonuses worth $1,000.

“Uncertainty of this nature is yet another disruption in an already complex environment for farmers, so a speedy resolution is paramount,” says TFI President and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “Over half of all fertilizer moves by rail every year throughout the United States, and the timeliness and reliability of fertilizer shipments are absolutely critical.”

He also says if the farmers can’t get their fertilizer in a timely manner, it results in lower crop yields, higher food prices, and more inflation for America’s consumers.