PM's address to the nation fails to acknowledge the global fertiliser crisis:

endence on imported urea, warning that Murray farmers are paying the price for a decade of federal government

inaction on agricultural supply chain security.

Australia imports more than 90 per cent of the urea its farmers depend on. Last year, more than half came from the

Middle East. When the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted during the June 2025 Middle East conflict, urea prices surged

by over $118 per tonne in just seven days — hitting Murray farmers directly during peak winter crop preparation.

Australia lost its last significant domestic urea production when Dyno Nobel closed the Gibson Island facility in

Brisbane at the end of 2022. No government intervention was made to prevent the closure. No replacement was

announced.

“Australia exports energy to the world, yet we cannot manufacture the fertiliser our own farmers need to grow food.

Canberra let this happen and did nothing to stop it,” Mrs Dalton said.

“We have the natural gas reserves, the phosphate deposits, and the industrial capacity to produce urea right here in

Australia. The inputs exist. What does not exist is a federal government willing to treat food production inputs as a

national security matter,” Helen said.

“When the Strait of Hormuz is under pressure and urea prices spike overnight, it is Murray farmers who absorb the hit.

They cannot wait for Canberra to wake up. But Canberra has had every warning, every data point, and every

opportunity to act. Both sides chose not to,” Helen said.

“Our farmers are the backbone of our nation. If we can’t even grow our own food, that is a national security risk,” she

said.

Ms Dalton is calling on the federal government to immediately commission a national food input security review,

establish strategic urea reserves, and create policy incentives to rebuild domestic production capacity before the next

global disruption removes that choice entirely.

Media Inquiries: Brian.Roberts@parliament.nsw.gov.au

01.04.2026

PM's address to the nation fails to acknowledge the global fertiliser crisis:

Helen Dalton MP

Independent Member for Murray, Helen Dalton, says the world must brace for an agricultural production crisis as

key fertiliser markets China, Russia and Turkey, impose export restrictions in response to the war in Iran.

"The PM's three minute address to the nation was a shallow as it was short," Helen said. "Wishing people a happy

Easter is nice, but it doesn't address the crisis we are facing."

"Not only do we already have a fertiliser shortage, but that shortage has just been made worse by new export bans

imposed by the Chinese, Russian and Turkish Governments," Helen said.

"The Prime Minister didn't address this crisis. Either he is ignorant or he's playing down had bad things may get."

China producers 30% of the world's phosphate fertiliser and 15% of the world's urea exports. Russia is a key

producer of ammonia nitrate fertiliser and Turkey is also a key urea producer.

All three countries have announced massive cuts to exports in order to support local food production in each

country.

"This is what happens when Australia doesn't produce enough of its own fertiliser," Helen said. "We are going into

our winter planting season in Australia and farms across the country will run out of fertiliser. It's that serious."

Ms Dalton is calling on the Prime Minister and the Federal Government to come clean about the current crisis.

"The Prime Minister and the National Cabinet need to admit this crisis is happening, and then explain what, if

anything, they plan to do about it," Helen said. "Australian farmers have been warning for a long time that we are

way too dependent on foreign nations for our food security, and now we have proof of that."

"How did anyone in Canberra think it was a good idea to allow China and Russia to effectively control Australia's

access to the fertiliser we need to feed our nation?"

"We should have been making our own fertiliser here in Australia, so that we have a large, stable, domestic fertiliser

industry for times like these."

Ms Dalton said short-sighted environmental policies had contributed to the current crisis.

"Australians need to realise we have everything we need to manufacture enough fertiliser locally, but we haven't

been doing that, because State and Federal Governments worried that fertiliser manufacturing would contribute to

global warming."

"Well now, a lack of fertiliser will contribute to food shortages. How do those politicians feel now?" Helen asked.

Ms Dalton is urging the Federal Government to treat the current fertiliser shortages as a national security crisis.

"We must do whatever we can to turn this sad situation around immediately," Helen said. "Australia must always be

able to feed itself."