<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia's food system is under pressure as global tensions ripple into paddocks, with farmers already cutting back on planting and warning of higher supermarket prices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the centre is a supply chain few shoppers have had to think about – until now.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fertiliser and diesel, both essential to modern agriculture, are transported through shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When movement through that corridor slows, costs climb, and availability narrows, leaving farmers weighing up whether they can afford to plant at all.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chef, farmer and author Matthew Evans said the current crisis has laid bare just how vulnerable Australia is.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What's happening right now is a wake-up call," Evans said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our entire food system relies on imported fertiliser and diesel. When that gets disrupted, everything gets more expensive, and that flows straight through to supermarket prices."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/food-security-fuel-crisis-iran-war-australian-farmers-fertiliser-supply/2d1303b3-f3fa-40e2-a890-33451504e46d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>New figures from AUSVEG show more than a quarter of vegetable growers have already reduced or halted planting.</span><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The impact won't be exclusive to farms. Tighter supply later in the year is likely to push up prices for everyday staples like bread, pasta and beer – not just fresh produce.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Toowoomba grazier and agricultural services system DIT AgTech founder Mark Peart said farmers are already adjusting their operations to stay afloat.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Some are cutting back on fertiliser use, some are reducing stock numbers, and others are delaying or rethinking parts of their operation because the cost of diesel and inputs has become so unpredictable," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Peart said uncertainty is driving those decisions, with farmers often unsure what they'll be paying or if supplies will arrive on time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're also seeing a move towards efficiency – farmers are looking at ways to use less diesel, reduce labour and get more out of what they're already doing," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Cutting costs can only go so far in a system built on imported fertiliser and fuel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>University of Sydney senior economics lecturer Chandana Maitra said the problem sits at the core of how Australian farms, with urea – a nitrogen-rich compound used in fertilisers – and diesel both sourced from overseas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When shipping routes run into trouble, fertiliser becomes harder to secure. At the same time, higher fuel costs run through every stage of farming, cutting output and lifting prices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia relies on imported fertiliser, much of which moves through key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global chokepoint.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The result can be broader price pressures across the economy. If sustained, this may delay interest rate cuts or keep inflation elevated for longer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Middle East is also an important market for some Australian agricultural exports. Ongoing instability could weigh on export earnings, while disruptions to fuel and fertiliser markets continue to drive up costs at home.</span></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/Wswfc4MD9qY2H_FFdwJLfTtx2wg=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2026%2F03%2F763697%2Fmoney.png"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Evans said the focus now should be on how the nation responds.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This might be the moment that finally forces us to rethink how we grow food," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Because it doesn't have to be this way."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>China's move toward electrified transport and logistics shows how quickly systems can change across industries. With less diesel in the mix, its urban transport and delivery networks are less exposed when oil prices spike.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For Australian farmers, attention is now turning to the winter planting window – a key period that will determine supply later in the year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many are already scaling back after successive shocks, including COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, both of which drove up fertiliser prices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"At some point, you have to ask, how many times do we need to learn the same lesson?" Evans said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Evans sees an opportunity at the farm gate. Healthier soils, using less fertiliser and a wider mix of crops can ease the burden on farmers in the long haul.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's small, practical changes that reduce costs, improve soil, and make farms less dependent on expensive inputs," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia still produces enough food to feed three times its population and exports most of what it grows – a strong position, though one Evans said won't hold without adapting to volatile markets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have the land, the knowledge and the people. What we need now is to apply that knowledge in a way that makes us less exposed to global shocks."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>