Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I refer to the national fuel crisis. Fertilizer Australia has written to the government, warning that further shipment disruptions will 'have catastrophic impacts on domestic agricultural output in the 2026 season'. Given that the price of fertiliser has doubled, what is the government's plan to secure fertiliser for Australian farmers?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member opposite for that question. As I said last week, fertiliser is a significant input into our agriculture sector, and it is very important. I've certainly been working with the Minister for Industry and Innovation to see what we can do in relation to fertiliser in Australia. As I said last week, we have enough fertiliser either in Australia or on ships in terms of the initial cropping season. We're certainly getting a lot of input from farmers about fertiliser prices, and we have been working with the ACCC on how we can work with them, as we have in relation to fuel for fertiliser and what needs to be done there so that we can ensure fertiliser is getting to the people that need it most.

As a government, we are aware that some cargoes booked for Australia are delayed in the Persian Gulf, and we continue to monitor it. We do source urea fertiliser from other regions, and we're working with industry to seek alternative supplies. In the same way, as I said, that we are working with the ACCC and industry for fuel, we are also working with them in relation to fertiliser. We do continue to monitor this situation, and I'm having weekly meetings with the agriculture sector in relation to fertiliser, and we're in regular contact with Fertilizer Australia on how we might source more fertiliser as Australian farmers need it. We have been doing the work to make sure that Australian farmers can have certainty when it comes to future crops.