Rising Fuel Costs Blamed for 3 Polk Plant Closings BARTOW (WUSF) - Mosaic Company's announcement means several hundred people will soon be looking for another job. Affected are the company's Fort Green phosphate mine near Mulberry, the Green Bay fertilizer plant near Bartow and the South Pierce fertilizer plant, south of Mulberry.

Mosaic spokesman David Townsend says the high cost of fuel has hurt the ability of many farmers to afford fertilizer.

TOWNSEND: It really represents a long-term strategic decision that comes after a thorough analysis of our cost structure, the long-term outlook for market demand, and the optimal structure for operating our company.

Townsend says the closings will help the company to operate more efficiently. He says the economic picture means there's little chance the plants will reopen in the near future. © Copyright 2012, WUSF