Incitec Pivot Fertilisers Stakeholder Update - 13 May 2026

Purpose of this update

This is the second monthly update provided by Ridley Corporation Limited, owner of Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, to key stakeholders, customers and farmers.

With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, global fertiliser markets remain in short supply and at elevated prices.  As a long-term supplier to Australian farmers, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers has experience in navigating supply disruptions. We are focused on doing everything possible to assist our customers through this period and are deploying a broad range of initiatives to help close the gap on supply.

In this update, we will provide a snapshot of the actions taken and our current fertiliser availability. We hope this will assist our stakeholders to make informed decisions, and to help farmers maintain on-farm productivity through their fertiliser choices, during this challenging period.  

Current status

The Strait of Hormuz continues to be impassable, with no current estimate on when fertiliser shipments will be able to exit, or when future supply from the region will resume. Even once resolved, elevated prices and availability will potentially take many months to correct to pre-conflict levels.  

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers continues to take action to secure the fertiliser requirements of Australian farmers. Key initiatives to date include sourcing replacement cargoes for the shipments awaiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiating a new agreement with PT Pupuk Indonesia for the supply of 250Kt of Urea. These interventions have increased confidence in supply for the May/June period. 

Export Finance Australia (EFA) Framework Agreement

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers has agreed a framework with the EFA, a Federal Government entity, whereby the EFA will support the procurement of some additional fertiliser cargos to meet potential shortfalls in the Australian market. 

Under this framework, the EFA will underwrite the importation of agreed shipments of fertiliser at prevailing market rates, when the risk of price volatility is too great for fertiliser importers to do so. This framework still relies on forecasting future farmer demand, which is currently difficult to predict due to the climatic outlook and the unknown response of farmers to the prevailing fertiliser prices. For this reason, we strongly encourage all dealers and farmers to consider contracting their fertiliser requirements well in advance to avoid any risk in not being able to buy fertiliser in future windows.

 

Product availability

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers is currently carrying stocks in expectation of short-term demand: 

Nitrogen Products: Urea, Granam (Sulphate of Ammonia), EASY N (UAN)

·       Product is available for despatching at most ports, though some locations are awaiting the arrival of the replacement cargoes. 

Phosphate products

·       There is good availability across most ports.

Smart Fertilisers

·       Inventory is available at all East Coast sites to coat urea for both current contracts and future orders. We are encouraging all farmers to consider managing nitrogen loss this season and deploy proven technology^ to support the retention of applied nitrogen in the crop.

^ These products can reduce Nitrogen volatilisation in winter cropping by up to 82%:green_urea_nv_trial_report.pdf

Easy Liquids

·       A range of products are available for manufacture at our regional facilities.

While current stocks are available as per above, customers should anticipate some product outages at times in some facilities as we await the arrival of replacement shipments in this May/June/July window and we encourage you to liaise with your local Incitec Pivot Fertilisers representative to plan collections accordingly. Customers are also encouraged to consider requirements for the next 3 to 6 months to ensure that we can anticipate your requirements and secure your needs.

Supporting farmer decision-making  

Webinars

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers has been hosting webinars for Agronomists and end users to help navigate supply challenges and consider alternate products. So far we have had over 400 attendees at our sessions. The Links to replays of webinars hosted are:  

·       Winter crop N management strategies

·       Northern winter crop nitrogen management strategies

·       Managing fertiliser for dairy pastures in a challenging environment

·       Managing Fertiliser for Beef & Sheep Pastures

You can register to attend our Easy N (UAN) webinar on 22 May at WEBINAR | EASY N.

Webinars for cotton, sugarcane and horticulture will advertised via our website in the near future.

Soil Sampling  

Soil testing and advice is available and can play an important role in optimising nutrient application, ensuring your fertiliser goes further this season. Details available at Nutrient Advantage.

 

Looking forward

Ridley, through Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, is committed to continuing to play its part in delivering the fertiliser requirements of Australian farmers. However, there remain supply risks and to ensure we can meet the needs of farmers we encourage all our customers to consult directly with regional sales teams to plan and contract product as soon as practicable. 

We will continue to provide updates on www.ridley.com.au and www.incitecpivotfertilisers.com.au on a monthly basis, or if material changes arise.

Thank you for your ongoing support.  

Quinton Hildebrand

CEO, Ridley Corporation

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE 

The material in this release is a guide only, which we hope you find useful as general information.  This information is subject to change and not complete and as such may not be suitable for any particular application or reliance.