Welcome to July! It’s great to be able to write that the rain has arrived for most of our network and whilst the season appears 4-6 weeks late, it is encouraging to see a step change in weather conditions. The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast for August to October indicates a likelihood of above-average rainfall across much of our network so let’s hope that this positive outlook for the coming months comes. Let’s look at the chemical and fertiliser markets for this month. Global Fertiliser Market: Focus on Urea The global fertiliser market has been significantly impacted by geopolitical developments. While we observed a substantial jump in the world price of urea last month, pushing it towards or above $900 per tonne, prices have since eased back slightly from those peaks with fresh international shipments. However, domestic prices continue to hold firm in the high $800s, with Eyre Peninsula growers paying $900/tonne+ from the Port Lincoln port. The critical factors currently influencing urea prices include: Supply & Demand Dynamics: Global urea prices remained steady over the past week. India continues to underpin global demand, having secured 1.47 million tonnes in its recent July tender. While buyer caution is increasing due to elevated international prices and affordability concerns, particularly in Brazil, demand from key importers remains a strong driver. Prices in the US Gulf (NOLA) have also firmed amid concerns over potential tariffs and expectations of tighter supply. Outlook for the Next 30-60 Days: Global urea prices are generally expected to remain stable to firm. This outlook is supported by tight underlying supply conditions, continued restrictions on Chinese export availability, and the possibility of renewed demand from India and Brazil later in August or September. Any shifts in China’s export policies, which continue to prioritise domestic needs, could significantly alter the current supply-demand balance. Domestic Landscape: Domestically, port prices remain steady ex-major port. Notably, demand spiked ex-Geelong late last week, driven by the prospect of significant rainfall events, which are expected to be the best for the year in some areas. Local rainfall will continue to control demand and therefore pricing over the coming months. Phosphate prices have firmed in key markets, with India and China experiencing notable increases due to tight supply and steady export demand. India’s market remains particularly strong, underpinned by government support and low domestic inventories. China’s export values have also risen amid limited availability. Saudi Arabia has emerged as a major supplier, recently securing large shipments to India and agreeing to a long-term annual supply deal beginning in 2025/26. However, some momentum is being tempered by weak demand in Pakistan and Southeast Asia, where high costs and affordability issues are limiting activity. Looking ahead, Indian demand is expected to remain robust through August, driven by seasonal buying and continued import support, while other markets should remain subdued with minimal shifts in global supply dynamics. With a long way to go for Southern Australia broadacre croppers before we consider 2026 requirements lets hope the market softens and presents some opportunities towards the end of year. Agricultural Chemicals: Persistent Pressures and Opportunities Following on from our previous update about how those global events are hitting the markets, there's not a whole lot of change over the last month, with those same underlying pressures continuing. Prices for key commodities like glyphosate and paraquat are still heading north, jumping another 10 cents a litre over the past month. We know those Chinese manufacturers are keen to lift their pricing, seeing as they were pretty much selling below cost in the first half of this year. So, while prices have bounced off their bottom, they're still offering great value compared to the five-year average. Now, onto in-season post-emergent herbicides, supply is strong. That's largely thanks to suppliers being well-organised with their stock, and the season running a good four to six weeks late in many areas. The same goes for fungicides, too – good news there. We also really want to highlight that we've seen some 5%-20% price drops for your in-crop sprays and fungicides in 2025 versus 2024. Please make sure your reseller is passing on these new, lower prices. If you haven't priced us up for your in-crop spray programs to get your hands on that 2025 pricing, you're genuinely leaving money on the table for your business. As always, we'll give you up-to-date, clear, transparent pricing with a rapid turnaround on quotes. We've found a few of our competitors napping over the last month, from growers who hadn't given Crop Smart a recent opportunity to quote on their inputs. The above applies particularly to Clethodim, LVE MCPA and Imi chemicals e.g. Imazamox, Imazapyr, Imazapic and or combinations of like our Smart Commandeer. Nutrition For those looking to optimise the crop's Nutrition, many of you have already taken advantage of our Nutrition Agronomist, Ryan Sheridan, for customised paddock plans and liquid nutrient strategies. This agronomy service is on offer to our whole network, so if you’re interested, please just get in touch with us to get Ryan to call you or even come out for a farm visit. With crops being four to six weeks late in many regions, more growers are looking to give them a "kick" with not only urea but also through targeted liquid nutrition brews. To make this easy, all our stores now have a solid bank of local soil test data, analysed by Ryan, meaning we are offering customised liquid nutrition brews for your region, ready to be delivered straight to your farm. Global Shipping: Persistent Headaches The global shipping environment is still facing its fair share of headaches, mainly revolving around the Red Sea and Suez Canal routes. Those ongoing security concerns mean vessels are still having to take the long way around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. This really stretches out transit times and burns a lot more fuel, directly leading to higher ocean freight rates for anything coming from places like China to Australia. These bumped-up freight costs ultimately contribute to the overall price you pay for your agricultural inputs. Reports confirm that the Red Sea situation remains risky as of late July 2025, with major shipping lines still avoiding the Suez Canal. New Stores: Horsham & Hopetoun In the last month we’ve relocated and opened our new stores at Hopetoun and Horsham. Thank you to the growers for coming in for our opening events and helping us give thanks to stalwarts Darren Mills, Lee English and Daryl Hofmaier. Moving off farm at both locations into town reflects us offering more convenient service and a more professional store for you to drop into and engage with the team. It’s also a commitment from us to our suppliers to further showcase their products to growers. If you’re driving past, please make sure you call in and say hi. In conclusion, a lot is happening in the world right now that's influencing farm inputs. Our commitment at Crop Smart remains rock-solid to make sure you're always well-informed and organised to handle these market conditions. With things changing quickly, we'll keep giving you tailored advice to make sure your farm's inputs are sorted efficiently this season. If you're not getting the right information from your current supplier, honestly, just give one of our team a buzz – we're here to help you stay organised. As always, we genuinely appreciate your continued business and support and as always, we are available for on-farm deliveries at short notice during the coming month.