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Australia urea topdressing at risk on US-Iran war
Australia urea topdressing at risk on US-Iran war
Sydney, 26 March (Argus) — Australian growers face higher fertilizer and fuel costs, which are affecting their planting decisions as they approach winter crop planting. The country's urea imports could also be affected, depending on the war in Iran, which could weigh on topdressing during the growing season. The dynamic could adversely affect yields and quality. The effective closure of the strait of Hormuz has cut off Australia from its main urea supplier, leaving some farmers exposed as they head into winter crop planting in April-June. Australia sources almost two-thirds of its annual urea imports from the Mideast Gulf (see graph). There is enough urea in Australia to cover the winter crop's pre-seeding application, but more imports are needed for topdressing applications starting in June, multiple suppliers said. Topdressing supports yields and quality in crops and typically occurs in June and July for wheat and barley and August for canola. Crop volumes and, importantly, protein levels in wheat, could be reduced if supplies are tight and high fertilizer prices cause farmers to pull back from their typical topdressing. Domestic and international urea prices have surged since the war began, driven by tight supply and higher freight rates. Argus last assessed granular urea at A$1,250-1,340/t ($872-934/t) fca Geelong on 19 March, a 55pc increase from before the war (see graph). Some trades were heard above A$1,400/t fca Geelong this week. Uncertainty about when — and if — urea supply will return to normal, along with higher expected fertilizer and fuel costs, are being factored into planting decisions. Barley plantings are likely to rise in place of wheat because of its lower fertilizer requirements and strong prices. Canola plantings could also be dictated by the balance of expected returns from higher oil markets against higher fertilizer and fuel costs. Some growers in Western Australia are receiving advice from agronomists and fellow farmers to grow more pulses, like broad beans and lentils, because these use less fertilizer than grains like canola and wheat. In northern crop regions, which are already dry, some acres could be left for fallow. The last vessel carrying fertilizer to Australia through the strait of Hormuz departed on 23 February and is expected in WA on 26 March, vessel tracking data from Kpler show. There will likely be no vessels arriving in Australia from the Mideast Gulf in April because vessels travelling from the region typically take at least three weeks to arrive. Furthermore, granular urea cannot be easily replaced with alternative nitrogen fertilizers like urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and ammonium sulphate (amsul). Supplies of UAN, which is mainly used in WA, could be restricted because the main supplier, China, stopped exports as of 13 March. Meanwhile, amsul has around half the nitrogen of urea which increases handling and application costs. By Susannah Cornford and Edward Dunlop Australia urea imports (t) Granular urea fca Geelong (A$/t) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US issues waiver to allow E15 gasoline: Update
US issues waiver to allow E15 gasoline: Update
Updates throughout New York, 25 March (Argus) — The US will allow refiners and retailers to supply a gasoline blend with more ethanol than is usually allowed in some states, starting in May, and will waive other fuel rules, amid efforts to temper pump prices that have surged because of war in the Middle East. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday issued emergency waivers allowing continued nationwide sales of gasoline with up to 15pc ethanol (E15), administrator Lee Zeldin announced Wednesday in brief remarks at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, Texas. The typically cheaper blend would have otherwise been restricted in much of the US during the summer because of rules to limit smog that do not apply to typical E10 gasoline despite a similar volatility profile. The waivers also standardize blending rules across the US, reducing the risk of price spikes in areas where boutique rules can create fuel islands. The agency said this would help create more of a "single national gasoline pool" this summer. For instance, EPA is allowing continued sales of E10 this summer in a group of Midwestern states that would have otherwise required that blend to be mixed with less volatile but costlier blendstocks. Governors of those seven states had asked for that carveout after war in the Middle East broke out. The agency will also suspend federal enforcement of requirements for other regions of the US to switch to similarly low-volatility "boutique" gasoline fuel blends this summer. California and major metro areas such as Denver, Colorado make the switch each year as part of federally approved plans to comply with national air quality standards. It will be up to states and local jurisdictions to decide whether to maintain those specific standards, the agency said. "Through the waiver, we are fortifying the domestic gasoline supply chain and providing Americans relief at the pumps ahead of the upcoming summer driving season," Zeldin said. EPA can issue emergency waivers in "extreme or unusual" fuel supply situations that last 20 days and will have to be renewed to last through the summer. The Wednesday announcement weeks ahead of the start of the summer driving season comes after oil refiners lobbied President Donald Trump's administration to clarify its summer plan s sooner than in years past. The first round of emergency waivers last year came just days before summer driving season kicked off, frustrating fuel makers and distributors that had already invested millions to move to the boutique Midwestern blend. Pipelines too start moving to summer blends well before fuel reaches motorists. Fight in Congress continues While EPA has issued emergency waivers allowing continued E15 sales for the last four years, ethanol advocates cheered the announcement. "With rising fuel prices and a war in the Middle East, this is the worst time to force retailers to bag E15 pumps," said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association executive director Monte Shaw. But they also pushed Congress to find a more durable solution that does not depend on regulators. Congress has struggled for months to reach agreement on biofuel policy legislation that would permanently adjust air quality rules to allow E15 sales year-round. Some refiners have objected to earlier proposals that would restrict their ability to win exemptions from biofuel blend mandates. Lobbyists close to the debate say there is disagreement in Congress over whether to continue pushing for far-reaching biofuel legislation that limits those exemptions or a slimmer E15 bill instead. Senate Agriculture Committee chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) said at an event in Washington, DC on Monday that he supports E15 but that restricting exemptions could lead small refineries, including one in his state, to close. Ethanol is typically cheaper than gasoline blendstocks, and the spread has widened since Tehran has retaliated against US-Israeli strikes by attacking energy infrastructure and halting tanker traffic. At the same time, E15 is not sold at the vast majority of retail fuel stations in the US, limiting the role the biofuel can play in curbing pump prices without other changes. Farm advocates blame the lack of availability on the long-running impasse in Congress deterring retailers from investing in higher-blend infrastructure. EPA is separately planning to finalize new biofuel blend quotas, which shape production margins for ethanol and demand for crops like corn, sometime this month. By Cole Martin and Eunice Bridges Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US organic buyers see feed demand growth: Panel
US organic buyers see feed demand growth: Panel
Minneapolis, 25 March (Argus) — US demand for organic feed is increasing as more consumers prefer to eat healthy, chemical-free foods, according to a panel at the Clearwater Farms Organic Expo this week. Growing interest in healthy eating is boosting organic chicken sales, said Rex Marquat, grain manager at Miller Poultry, during a panel on the organic feed market. Organic production is expanding faster than conventional output, with organic now accounting for almost 50pc of the company's business. Strong organic chicken sales will lift demand for organic feed for poultry production, he said at the Clearwater Farms Organic Expo in Bay City, Michigan. Inflation during the Covid-19 pandemic narrowed the premium for organic chicken over antibiotic free chicken, prompting some consumers to trade up. Many continued buying organic chicken after the pandemic because of its taste and lack of chemicals, Marquat said. Quality Roasting is seeing "steady growth throughout their [soybean] meal side," said Jim Copher, organic program manager at Quality Roasting. Some of this growth is taking business from imported soybean meal (soymeal), but the company is also experiencing 5-10pc natural growth. Quality Roasting sees rising demand for organic soybean oil, which will further add to returns from organic soy crush and allows the company to bid more aggressively, Copher said. Geopolitical risk and impacts Rising geopolitical risk is pushing some buyers towards domestic purchasing, but imports will be necessary to meet market demand, panel participants said. Some end-users prefer imported organic soymeal, especially those close to the coasts, Copher said. Quality Roasting competes with imports in the Corn Belt and High Plains region but struggles to sell to the west coast. Imported organic soybeans are normally more expensive for Quality Roasting than domestic soybeans, Copher said. Many dairies on the west coast prefer imported soymeal because of access to ports. Buyers who prefer imported meal often cite risks from freight and fuel costs as their main reason to avoid domestically crushed meal from the Corn Belt, Copher said. Buyers also have fewer concerns about domestic organic commodities being fraudulent compared with imports, Clay Roberson, organic merchant at The Anderson's, said. However, feed demand growth may push in some further imports. Marquat agreed, saying Miller Poultry already imports much of its organic soybeans. He expects organic soy imports to rise, but rising geopolitical risk may make importing difficult. The ongoing US-Iran war has caused diesel prices to jump, which has added to organic feed costs since many organic loads are moved by truck, said Brad Johnson, director of grain procurement at feed mill Kalmbach Feeds. Carriers already raised their prices several times, which requires market participants to be flexible and efficient to not lose out in this market, Roberson said. Quality Roasting is keeping less unsold inventory and trying to be more "defensive on pricing" to deal with the geopolitical risk, Copher concurred. Feed demand tightens wheat market Strong organic feed demand is driving more demand for organic wheat and soybeans, but organic wheat is already hard to find, panel participants said. Two of the panel members said they needed more organic wheat ahead of the new crop but struggled to find supply. "Supplies just don't seem like they're out there," said Brad Johnson. Roberson agreed that it was the hardest market for them to source. A strong organic corn market has lifted organic feed wheat prices and demand from millings looking to reduce corn in their rations. Quality Roasting is still looking for organic soybeans ahead of harvest, Copher said. There are domestic soybeans remaining on farm and Copher prefers domestic soybeans over imports, but offers are limited in the market. By Alexander Schultz Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US plans to allow E15 gasoline this summer
US plans to allow E15 gasoline this summer
New York, 25 March (Argus) — The US is planning to allow refiners and retailers to supply a gasoline blend with more ethanol than is usually allowed in some states in the summer, an effort to temper fuel costs that have surged because of war in the Middle East. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to soon issue emergency waivers allowing continued nationwide sales of gasoline with up to 15pc ethanol (E15), a blend typically restricted in the summer because of rules to limit smog, according to four people familiar with the plans. Most gasoline in the US is sold with 10pc ethanol, but higher-ethanol blends are typically cheaper. Clarity on the agency's plans is expected on Wednesday. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin was to address the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon with an announcement "regarding nationwide E15 and E10 to boost energy supply and provide cost relief to Americans", according to a media advisory. EPA said that it was working to restore "American energy dominance" and was "monitoring the supply with industry and federal partners". EPA has issued emergency waivers allowing summertime E15 the past four years, citing "extreme or unusual" fuel supply issues. President Donald Trump's administration has more recently looked for ways to minimize the impact of war in Iran on US drivers. Last year's waivers also allowed continued sales of typical E10 gasoline in a group of Midwestern states that would have otherwise required that blend to be mixed with less-volatile but costlier blendstocks. Governors of those seven states, hoping to again halt their shift to the boutique blend that would leave them in a regional fuel island, have asked for similar treatment this year. Oil refiners have pushed EPA to clarify plans sooner than in years past. The first in a series of 20-day waivers last year came just days before summer driving season kicked off, frustrating fuel makers and distributors that had already invested millions to move to the boutique Midwestern blend. The focus on emergency waivers comes as a task force of Republican lawmakers in Congress has struggled to reach agreement on biofuel policy legislation that would permanently adjust air quality rules to allow E15 sales year-round. Some refiners have objected to earlier proposals that would restrict their ability to win exemptions from biofuel blend mandates. Lobbyists close to the debate say there is disagreement in Congress over whether to continue pushing for far-reaching biofuel legislation that limits those exemptions or a slimmer E15 bill instead. Senate Agriculture Committee chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) said at an event in DC on Monday that he supports E15 but that restricting exemptions could lead small refineries, including one in his state, to close. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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