Farmers, regional businesses and transport operators have been under strain this week, with fuel supply impacted by the escalating war.
There are now warnings that similar shortages and delays may be felt across other resource sectors, including urea fertilisers imported from the Middle East.
In an interview with Sky News, Nationals leader Matt Canavan said that the risk to fertiliser imports was flying under the radar amid the fuel shortage crisis.
“Almost the unsaid risk at the moment is the risk to fertiliser supplies,” Mr Canavan said.
“A couple of years ago, we lost our last urea plant in Australia ‒ it was in Brisbane, at Gibson Island.
“We no longer produce the most important fertiliser in the world and get two-thirds of our urea supply from the Middle East
“We can’t afford [disruptions], we will literally not be able to grow food without this input of fertiliser.”
State Member for Murray Helen Dalton said regional Australians were paying the price for the Federal Government’s inaction on agricultural supply chain security.
“When the Strait of Hormuz is under pressure and urea prices spike overnight... it’s farmers who absorb the hit,” Ms Dalton said.
“Our farmers are the backbone of our nation.
“If we can’t even grow our own food, that is a national security risk.”
When the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted during the June 2025 Middle East conflict, urea prices surged to as high as $1200 per tonne in just seven days.
“Canberra has had every warning, every data point and every opportunity to act ‒ both sides chose not to.”
Initial reports suggest that the impacts of this month’s conflict may be more severe and longer lasting, with urea fertiliser prices already higher than March last year.
Ms Dalton is calling on the Federal Government to establish a strategic fertiliser reserve and support a domestic urea production capacity.
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