In this episode of AgWatchers, we speak with Mark Been from Marnco, our first fertiliser industry guest in more than 300 episodes.

The conversation starts with the immediate question facing growers: what is really happening in the fertiliser market? While urea supply concerns have eased after Australia moved early to secure product, Mark argues that the market is far from settled. Prices have fallen from their peak, India’s tenders have shown product is still available, and recent rain has helped validate earlier buying decisions. But beneath the surface, the fertiliser trade remains exposed to volatility, limited transparency and high-risk physical trading.

A major part of the discussion focuses on the federal government’s fuel and fertiliser security facility, and whether underwriting selected importers has created an uneven playing field. Mark explains why importers outside the scheme are concerned about price-risk support, market distortion and the long-term impact on competition. The team also discusses whether the facility acts like a subsidy, how it affects existing inventory, and whether a more open, case-by-case approach would have been fairer.

The episode then turns to the next pressure point: phosphate. Mark warns that while the urea story has attracted most of the headlines, phosphate supply is becoming increasingly tight due to restrictions from key suppliers, Gulf shipping issues and broader supply chain constraints. For growers, the message is not to panic, but to recognise that fertiliser markets are complex, opaque and difficult to time. As Mark puts it, trying to pick the bottom of the fertiliser market is usually a dangerous game.

Andrew and Matt are joined by Sian Fenner, Senior Economist at Westpac, for a wide-ranging discussion on the Australian economic outlook.

Topics covered:

• CPI & Inflation: April's CPI came in at 4.2%, below expectations, but underlying pressures are building across building costs, freight, and hospitality
• Strait of Hormuz: How ongoing shipping disruptions are flowing through to energy and fertilizer prices, and why full normalization isn't expected until mid-next year
• Fuel & Trade: Australia's fuel import positioning, government contingency funding, and the fragmented global trade environment
• US-China-Australia Trade Tensions: Agricultural deals, tariff exposure, and what the Trump administration's agreements mean for Australian commodity exporters
• RBA Rate Outlook: Westpac's forecast for two further hikes in August and September, taking the cash rate to 4.85%, with GDP growth expected to slow to 1.1% by year-end
• Commodity Markets: Outlook for wheat, canola, and beef, including El Niño risks
• Federal Budget: A detailed breakdown of the Labor government's tax reforms, including the permanent $20K instant asset write-off, carry-back loss provisions, and changes to capital gains tax and discretionary trusts

Shannon Beattie, founder of Bush and Beyond Media, joins Ag Watchers to talk all things agricultural communication, storytelling and media.

The conversation covers the difference between communications and marketing, why authenticity matters more than ever, and how agricultural industries can turn complex research, policy and technical information into messages people actually want to hear.

Shannon also shares her views on presentation skills, the changing media landscape, the role of podcasts and social media, and why chasing viral content is often less useful than reaching the right audience with the right message.

It is a practical and wide-ranging discussion for anyone involved in agriculture, advocacy, extension, media or industry communication.

We cover off on the big news in grains, fert and livestock.

We are back for another AgWatchersX. This week we will be covering off on the tentitive peace in the middle east. We give our views on future grain prices, fert for next year, Chinese beef tariffs, the weather in Australia and a whole lot more.

On this episode of the AgWatchers Podcast, we’re joined by Julie Collins to unpack the forces shaping Australian agriculture. From Canberra to the Middle East, we explore how geopolitical tensions are influencing fuel, fertiliser and food production and why events unfolding thousands of kilometres away are being felt at the farm gate.

As instability in the Middle East rattles global energy markets, Australian producers are once again grappling with rising diesel prices, volatile fertiliser costs and mounting uncertainty across supply chains. When shipping lanes tighten and oil prices surge, the ripple effects are immediate, pushing up the cost of planting, harvesting and transporting food and fibre. For farmers, it’s a stark reminder that geopolitics can have as much influence on profitability as rainfall and commodity prices.

Julie Collins shares her insights on regional Australia, agricultural policy and the role government plays in supporting producers through an increasingly complex and unpredictable global landscape. Together, we examine the challenges facing rural communities, the policy decisions shaping the sector’s future and the resilience required to navigate an era defined by uncertainty.

We have a chat with Melinda Hashimoto, CEO of Egg Farmers of Australia. In this podcast, we talk about a wide range of issues from biosecurity to Japanese raw eggs.

We have a chat with Lola Rauch, who works for the German Ag Society, who is now working in Australia to bring an offshoot of the famous Agritechnica conference to Australia - the future ag expo in Melbourne in July.