Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Dr Siswo Pramono (centre front) with representatives from Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, Ridley, PT Pupuk Indonesia, the Australian and Indonesian governments, Port of Brisbane, and Qube, welcomes the Medi Luna at the Port of Brisbane this morning. Photo: Incitec Pivot Fertilisers

THE FIRST shipment of urea under the Federal Government’s Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility has arrived in Brisbane from Indonesia, and Nutrien Ag Solution has tripled its domestic manufacturing capacity with the opening of its new facility in Victoria.

Ship comes in

Docking in Brisbane yesterday, the 47,250t shipment of urea is part of the 250,000t supply deal between Incitec Pivot and PT Pupuk Indonesia supported by the Australian and Indonesian governments.

“This shipment is the first in a number of upcoming shipments from PT Pupuk, Indonesia, and is part of a suite of initiatives that Incitec Pivot has been delivering to serve the needs of Australian farmers,” Incitec Pivot Fertilisers chief operating officer Scott Bowman said.

“Australian farm output is necessary for regional food security, and this is a crucial contribution to securing inputs via Australia’s largest fertiliser distributor, Incitec Pivot.

“Credit goes to the Australian and Indonesian governments in their active engagement in supporting fertiliser supply during what has been a period of significant global volatility.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins said the Federal Government’s Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility gives farmers greater certainty as they make planting and management decisions.

“We’ve been taking action to keep Australia moving and our farmers farming, with this fertiliser arriving in Australia welcome news for our farmers and producers,” Ms Collins said.

“I am very grateful for the co-operation and support of the Indonesian Government to lock in this additional fertiliser supply.

“Additional fertiliser secured by the Albanese Labor Government in partnership with industry is critical to keeping our food production strong, and is supporting food security in Australia and across the Indo-Pacific, including in Indonesia.

“We’ll continue working with Australia’s agriculture industry and our international trading partners to help secure the critical inputs our farmers and producers need, because we will always back them.”

Nutrien Ag’s Cherine Kerbaj at the East Coast Manufacturing and Distribution Centre at Laverton North. Photo: Nutrien Ag

Nutrien site triples capacity

Nutrien Ag’s purpose-built East Coast Manufacturing and Distribution Centre in Victoria’s Laverton North is now operational.

Nutrien Ag Solutions managing director Adrian Capogreco said the new $30-million facility marks a significant investment in local supply chains.

“In recent months, Australia’s agricultural sector has been subject to disruptions in the global environment, be it geopolitical tensions, the shifting economic environment, or even weather events closer to home,” Mr Capogreco said.

“At Nutrien, we’re focusing on the things we can control, and that includes our ability to boost our manufacturing footprint here on the east coast.

“Offering greater reliability to our farmers is a high priority for our team, and I’m delighted that we can continue to excel in meeting the seasonal needs of customers, particularly during those peak periods.”

The facility will support a range of key functions, including formulation, blending, product storage, and distribution, and will reduce reliance on transporting goods from Western Australia.

Nutrien Ag Solutions national manufacturing manager Cherine Kerbaj said the site enables farmers to receive high-quality, locally produced solutions in shorter time-frames.

“Farmers can expect greater flexibility and reliability when it comes to product availability,” Ms Kerbaj said.

“Having additional capacity produced right here in Melbourne means we can ease transport costs and avoid the complexity of boosting supply via other regions.

“This world-class facility enables us to effectively triple our domestic manufacturing capacity, which puts Nutrien front and centre when it comes to delivering reliability across the supply chain.”

The East Coast Manufacturing and Distribution Centre compliments the recent completion of Nutrien’s West Coast Bulk Fertiliser Facility, a $70M long-term leased facility in Perth.

Source: Australian Government, Nutrien Ag