Cotton Australia continues to work closely with the National Farmers Federation (NFF) through weekly government–industry roundtables focused on fuel and fertiliser supply chains.

While there are no immediate shortages at this point, ongoing cost pressures are putting pressure on grower margins and are expected to continue through the coming season.

Last week, Export Finance Australia agreed in-principle to underwriting arrangements for fertiliser imports. This is intended to reduce risk for importers and help keep fertiliser products flowing into Australia. In addition to this, 250,000 tonnes of urea was secured from Indonesia by the Federal Government.

Fuel supply is currently stable, with extra diesel shipments secured and national stocks returning close to normal levels. However, fuel prices are expected to stay elevated for at least the next few months while global supply chains adjust.

For cotton growers, the bigger issue is timing and cost certainty for next season. Fertiliser prices remain volatile, and there is still limited visibility on where prices and availability will land beyond the short term.

Cotton Australia continues to push this as a priority issue through the NFF roundtable engagement. Other priority issues include:

an agriculture-specific fuel and fertiliser security plan with clear trigger points for government action

formally recognising agriculture as a critical industry under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984

securing targeted support for farming businesses under financial pressure

a clearer publicly available fertiliser supply outlook so growers can make more confident seasonal decisions.

Growers are encouraged to continue to share how they’ve been impacted by fuel or fertiliser disruptions by emailing [email protected]. This information is being fed directly into discussions with the Federal Government.

28 April 2026