CANBERRA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia will import 250,000 tonnes of fertilizer urea from Indonesia under a deal announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday.
Albanese said in a joint statement with Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins that the deal between Australian supplier Incitec Pivot Fertilizers and manufacturer PT Pupuk Indonesia will supply 20 percent of Australia's fertilizer needs for the current season.
"This is a significant outcome for our farmers. We understand how critical fertilizer 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 fertilizers to mitigate supply issues caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
Around 60 percent of Australia's fertilizer urea imports were transiting through the Strait of Hormuz prior to 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. ■
