CANBERRA, April 17 (NNN-Bernama-Xinhua) — Australia will import 250,000 tonnes of fertiliser urea from Indonesia under a deal announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday, reported Xinhua.
Albanese said in a joint statement with Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Agriculture Minister Julie Collins that the deal between Australian supplier Incitec Pivot Fertilisers and manufacturer PT Pupuk Indonesia will supply 20 per cent of Australia’s fertiliser needs for the current season.
“This is a significant outcome for our farmers. We understand how critical fertiliser is for Australian farmers, for our food production system and the food security of our region,” he said.
It comes after Collins on Thursday announced that Australia would streamline the import process for fertilisers to mitigate supply issues caused by the conflict in West Asia.
Around 60 per cent of Australia’s fertiliser urea imports were transiting through the Strait of Hormuz before the outbreak of the conflict.
Collins said on Friday that the Australian and Indonesian governments had worked to facilitate the deal.
“This will mean Australia can continue to play an important role supporting food security in Indonesia and our region at a time of global uncertainty,” she said.
— NNN-BERNAMA-XINHUA