ABC Rural news

The topic is fertilisers

The news was published on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, at 12:16 pm

Over one million tonnes of urea have been imported to Australia since the war in the Middle East began in February

In short, this is about fertiliser imports

One million tonnes of fertiliser have been imported to Australia since the conflict in Iran started

The government made it easier to import fertiliser in April to help farmers during the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

What happens next?

More shipments of urea will arrive in the coming weeks

One million tonnes of fertiliser have been imported to Australia since the war in the Middle East disrupted trade

The government made it easier to import fertiliser in April so farmers would have enough for the winter crop

A third of the world's fertiliser passes through the Strait of Hormuz each year, but the strait's closure has caused problems

Australia relies on importing urea to grow crops

In 2025, Australia imported about 3.6 million tonnes of fertiliser

There were concerns that food prices would rise if there were not enough fertilisers

Urea helps Australian farmers have good harvests

The government sped up biosecurity checks for fertiliser imports

Urea is an important fertiliser for many crops, including wheat and vegetables

Australia has the materials to make fertiliser, but it does not produce much

The government sped up the import process to help farmers during the war

The Minister for Agriculture said the government wants to help farmers during this uncertain time

The government can now test fertiliser on the boat before it arrives in Australia

The Minister said the biosecurity changes help farmers, but the inspections are still strict

The government said contaminated fertiliser could hurt local industries, but the changes do not remove strict inspections

The Minister said the government did not weaken the biosecurity system

The government worked with Fertilizer Australia to speed up the import process

Fertilizer Australia said it is working with the government to ensure sound biosecurity and access to fertiliser

The partnership shows the importance of working together to protect Australia's farming ecosystems

The government is helping to pay for fertiliser shipments

The government allocated $7.5 billion to help with fuel and fertiliser security

Six more shipments of urea have been secured, with the first arriving soon

Crops like wheat need fertiliser to grow well

A new plant in Western Australia will produce urea starting next year

The shadow agriculture minister expressed concerns about the government's plan to pay for fertiliser imports

He said the plan is well-intentioned but not well implemented

Two big companies can import fertiliser at high prices and the government will help if prices fall

Smaller importers are not getting the same help from the government

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The news was published on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, at 12:16 pm

Another update was published on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, at 12:58 pm

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