Fertiliser imports hit 1 million tonne mark since Iran war began

More than a million tonnes of urea has been imported into Australia since the Middle East war began in February. (ABC News: John Gunn) One million tonnes of fertiliser has been imported in to Australia since the conflict in Iran began. The federal government streamlined its biosecurity border processes in April to help get more fertiliser into the country during the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Further shipments of urea are expected to arrive in coming weeks. Link copiedShareShare articleOne million tonnes of fertiliser has been imported into Australia since the ongoing war in the Middle East disrupted international trade. In April, the federal government streamlined biosecurity processes to ensure farmers in particular had enough supplies for the nation's all-important winter crop. A third of the world's fertiliser moves through the Strait of Hormuz in a normal year. The strait's closure during the Iran conflict has sent nations scrambling to secure supply. Australia is wholly reliant on urea imports to support the growth of crops. According to analysis firm Episode 3, Australia imported about 3.6 million tonnes in 2025. There were fears food prices would sky-rocket if ongoing shortages continued this year. Fertiliser-grade nitrogen compound urea has contributed to record crop harvests in Australia in recent years. (ABC Wimmera: Andrew Kelso) Urea is the world's most commonly used nitrogen fertiliser, and is essential for getting high yields out of many crops, including cereals like wheat, barley, oats and vegetables. Australia has abundant amounts of the raw ingredients to produce nitrogen-based fertiliser, but domestic manufacturing ground to a halt in recent decades. In order for fertiliser and other essential imports to enter Australia during the conflict, the government sped up the biosecurity process, in particular the assessments that could be done offshore. "This is about trying to provide Australian farmers with some certainty in what is an uncertain time with this war in the Middle East impacting globally and including here at home in Australia," said the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins. "We've streamlined the process so that, for instance, one of the things we can do is do a sample on the boat before it lands in Australia and make sure that it's tested by the time it lands." Julie Collins said biosecurity changes provide Australian farmers with certainty in what is an uncertain time. (ABC News: Brendan Esposito) The government said the possibility of contaminated fertiliser could significantly impact local industries, but Ms Collins said the changes did not remove rigorous inspections. "I don't want to send a message out there that we've done anything that we shouldn't be doing here. We still have an extremely strong biosecurity system," she said. The fast tracking of the biosecurity process was done in consultation with Fertilizer Australia. "Fertilizer Australia is committed to working alongside the government, ensuring that our collaborative efforts lead to sound biosecurity systems and timely access to fertiliser for Australian farmer," said chief executive officer Stephen Annells. "This partnership not only emphasises the importance of practical solutions but also reinforces our shared dedication to maintaining rigorous biosecurity standards, protecting Australia's farming ecosystems and export markets." In last month's federal budget, $7.5 billion was allocated for a fuel and fertiliser security facility as the government attempts to shield the nation from the long-term consequences of the war in Iran. An additional six shipments of more than 209,000 tonnes of urea have been secured with the first of those boats expected to arrive in Australia in the coming weeks. Crops like wheat need fertiliser for high yields. (Supplied: Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation) "We have also got an investment in terms of the Perdaman plant that will be able to produce urea in Western Australia from the middle of next year," Ms Collins said. Last month, shadow agriculture minister and Nationals MP Darren Chester expressed concern about the government plan to underwrite fertiliser imports. He said the policy appeared to be "well-intentioned" but "poorly implemented". "Two of the biggest players in the industry have been underwritten. They can order urea at inflated prices and if the prices happen to go down they are underwritten by the government," he said. Mr Chester said smaller importers who have expressed interest in the scheme are not getting the same response from government. "At the moment they are looking at the situation and saying 'we're going to own all the risk on the price of our shipments', whereas two of the bigger players have a government underwritten scheme." Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesEconomists won't rule out a further interest rate hike despite GDP slowdownLIVE

Fertiliser imports hit 1 million tonne mark since Iran war began

Key takeaways

Also covered by

Fertiliser imports hit 1 million tonne mark since Iran war began

Key takeaways

Also covered by

More in international