Fuel relief measures miss the mark for ag sector
AgForce says National Cabinet's decision to halve the fuel excise and suspend the heavy vehicle road user charge does little to address the immediate challenges that are facing Queensland producers. AgForce General President Shane McCarthy said while the measures may provide some relief to consumers and parts of the transport sector, they fall short in regards to agriculture.
Wheatbelt town left without diesel for eight days as Labor buries its head in the sand: Hunter
The Member for Central Wheatbelt and Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, Lachlan Hunter MP, says the Cook Labor Government is failing to manage the fuel crisis, with the town of Dowerin left without diesel for eight days. Mr Hunter said the situation exposes the growing gap between what the Government is saying and what is happening across regional Western Australia.
Councils feel the crunch
A cut in fuel excise to make petrol more affordable and a push for more Victorians to use public transport instead of driving are welcome measures to help navigate the fuel crisis, according to Rural Councils Victoria. The 50 per cent excise cut will mean immediate relief at the bowser for rural residents and business operators including farmers.
Tasmania’s food supply now at high risk: TasFarmers
Tasmania’s peak body for farmers is warning that growers are now considering ceasing harvest as a lack of government planning, fertiliser shortages and high diesel prices make it increasingly unviable to continue this season ... “Given where fuel prices are at the moment, and with fertiliser becoming harder to access, farmers are seriously considering whether to harvest, “Mr Cox said.
The virtue premium: How Australia locked itself out of fuel and fertiliser
Australia has just signed up to a free trade agreement with the European Union, which is being sold—predictably—as a great leap forward for the inner city consumer ... Out in the paddock, however, the mood is less celebratory. Because the small print tells a more familiar story. Australian once again, signed a deal where farmers pay the costs.
CSBP Fertilisers GM Ryan Lamp responds regarding supply
Ryan Lamp. CSBP Fertilisers has been part of Western Australian agriculture for more than 100 years. We’ve grown alongside the farmers and communities we serve, and we value those relationships deeply. We understand how critical reliable fertiliser supply is to growers, particularly leading into seeding.
CSBP’s force majeure gamble: Contracts, conflict and consequence
As the Iran–USA–Israel conflict ripples through global fertiliser markets, Western Australian farmers are discovering just how fragile their supply chains really are. At the centre of it is CSBP, which has reached for the force majeure clause in its contracts to step away from its contractual obligations.
National fuel plan must deliver results: NSW Farmers Association
NSW Farmers has welcomed a coordinated national response on fuel security and fuel supply chain resilience, but says immediate, practical action is needed to fix regional distribution failures now impacting food and fibre production – with the latest data on Friday indicating at least 178 NSW service stations out of diesel.
Farmers left wanting after National Cabinet fuel response: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says today’s National Cabinet outcomes fall short of delivering the certainty farmers need, warning that more must be done to give farmers confidence. VFF President Brett Hosking said while the Federal Government’s temporary fuel excise cut may provide some relief for consumers, it does little to address the unique and massive impacts being felt at the farm gate.
Urea $1400 : Going… going… gone
Urea hit the equivalent of $2,800 a tonne in today’s dollars back in 1974. That’s not a typo—and it’s not ancient history either. To understand how that happens, you need to start with geography. Roughly a third of global fertiliser trade by sea—not production, trade—passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Agforce leader talks on food security
The General President of AgForce, Shane McCarthy has highlighted the issues creating big problems for primary producers as a result of current unrest at an international level ... "One big lesson we've learned from this latest chain of events is that fuel plus fertiliser equals food," Mr McCarthy said. "It's surprising how quickly our food security can be put at risk without even one of those crucial ingredients.
Cost pressures weighing on farmer sentiment even prior to outbreak of Middle East conflict – quarterly survey: Rabobank
Australian rural confidence declined in the first quarter of 2026, with the nation’s farmers already concerned about cost pressures in the year ahead, even prior to the outbreak of the current Middle East conflict. The quarter one Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey found national rural confidence had slipped to a net reading of -9 per cent (down from six per cent in the previous survey) even before the outbreak of the war against Iran.
Food supply chain probe welcome, but plan needed now as input pressure mounts: NFF
The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to commission a National Food Supply Chain Assessment as part of the National Food Security Strategy, but has reiterated its calls for an immediate plan of action for the sector.
TasFarmers urges fuel rationing plan as national leadership fails
TasFarmers has warned the Federal Government must immediately quarantine fuel for agriculture or risk disrupting national food production as supply uncertainty deepens across Australia ... “We’ve been clear for weeks, no fuel will mean no food,” Mr Sauer said.
Panic buying of fuel more of a problem than supply as regional fuel stocks most under threat, government says
The Roundtable of more than 50 industry and government leaders met ... to discuss the fuel issues affecting Australia from the conflict in the Middle East ... While the Federal Government is responsible for Australia’s fuel supply and has advised that national fuel stocks remain secure, the Roundtable agreed to immediate actions by the State Government to address local distribution issues and minimise price impacts for consumers.
Fuel fury
Caitlin Menadue. Yorke Peninsula farmers, businesses and residents are grappling with the ongoing fuel crisis, as prices soar, independent retailers start to run dry and there’s no visible end in sight .... "Tractors, sprayers, seeders and trucks all rely on diesel to operate, and with seeding approaching it is essential that grain producers can access reliable fuel supplies."
Fertiliser supply shocks are a wake-up call for Australian agriculture: Colin McGregor, Genesis Algae Innovation
Colin McGregor. Australia has an opportunity to think differently about how we support farm productivity. Instead of relying exclusively on imports, we can invest in locally produced biological and nutritional solutions that complement existing fertiliser systems and reduce pressure on global supply chains. At Genesis Algae Innovation, we have been working on one such approach using Australian-grown chlorella algae.
Fertiliser shock could push Australia “towards the gates of a recession”, farmers warn: TasFarmers
TasFarmers has warned that just as farmers grapple with a fuel supply crisis, alarm is now growing over surging farm fertiliser prices that could push food costs higher and deepen economic pressure ... TasFarmers President, Ian Sauer, said the impact would be felt across the core fertilisers farmers rely on to grow crops.
Opinion: Diesel and fertiliser – The two essentials powering Western Australia’s economy: Hunter
Right now across regional Western Australia something deeply concerning is unfolding. Farmers are being told their diesel deliveries have stopped. Some have been warned supply may not resume for weeks. Others cannot lock in deliveries at all. In some cases, operations have already ground to a halt simply because there is no fuel to run the machinery. This should alarm every Western Australian.
Choking on the price of urea
I’m continually amazed how many people can fly to Bali yet couldn’t point to it on a map. Ask them to name the countries that sit north of Indonesia and you’ll usually get a blank look. Yet geography still matters. In fact, it quietly dictates how the global economy works.
Single atoms of silver and earth-abundant carbon turn pollutants into fertiliser: Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation
A single atom of silver working in synergy with carbon and nitrogen atoms can efficiently convert polluting nitrogenous waste in water from industries such as agriculture and mining into ready-to-use liquid fertiliser.
Elders’ acquisition of Delta not opposed: Elders
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it would not oppose the acquisition by Elders Limited (ASX:ELD, Elders) of all of the shares in Delta Agribusiness Pty Limited (Delta) subject to an undertaking given pursuant to section 87B of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (Undertaking). Pursuant to the terms of the Undertaking, six Delta branches in Western Australia will be divested. These branches are located in Dalwallinu, Kalannie, Albany, Manypeaks, Wellstead and Hyden.
