1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Fuel prices, well, they're supposed to drop from today, and 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: they are in some locations with the federal government cutting 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: the fuel excise by twenty six point three cents elita. 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: But well, whether all territories sort of feel the impact 5 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: of that in a positive way remains to be seen now. 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: At the same time, we know the Northern Territory government's 7 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: taken this step of activating the Price Exploitation Prevention Act 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: to keep those fuel retailers in check. They're also we 9 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: also know that we're seeing a scrapping of the heavy 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,599 Speaker 1: Vehicle road User Charge that that could also bring some 11 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: relief to some industries. Now joining us in the studio 12 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: is NT Farmers CEO Andrew Bourne. Good morning to you, Andrew. 13 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, good morning to you too. 14 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show. Now, tell me 15 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: what's the impact been of the rise in petrol prices 16 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: to NT Farmers. 17 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 3: The rising petrol prices are pretty significant for US caddy. 18 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 3: Everything that goes to the farm and everything that leaves 19 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 3: the farm is being impacted. You've had a dollar thirty plus. 20 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: Prices of diesel. 21 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 3: A lot of our smaller guys are getting it directly 22 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 3: from the bowser they don't get deliveries to farm, so 23 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 3: they're paying the same bowser price that every other territory is. 24 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 3: At the moment for diesel, we have been you know, 25 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 3: silver lining with the sort of impacts of the flooding 26 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 3: that we've had recently, as we've used a little bit 27 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 3: less easiler than we typically would at this time of year. 28 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 3: But it's coming now that it's trying out and people 29 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 3: need to get back out on the farm and doing 30 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 3: their work. 31 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 2: It's a pretty scary proposition. 32 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and then you know, from what I've heard as 33 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: well nationally from farmers, it's not just the cost of 34 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: the petrol, but that fuel security as well. You know, 35 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: we've spoken to the Treasurer Bill Yan a little bit 36 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,199 Speaker 1: earlier today and he said, I think that we've got 37 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: you know that we've got fuel for the next three weeks. 38 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: Then we're expecting another thirty days with other shipments coming through. 39 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: But when you think about that large scale, particularly for farmers, 40 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: you know, that's not a real long time. 41 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: Is that? No, it's not. 42 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 3: And it adds into that uncertain to around what the 43 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 3: future looks like, which feeds into the decisions that farmers make. 44 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 3: So at the moment, we've been pretty fortunate in terms 45 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 3: of supply issues. We haven't really seen anything throughout our 46 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 3: network in relation to supply. It is something that's back 47 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 3: of mind for the farmers about what that looks like 48 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 3: in four eight twelve weeks as we progress, and we're 49 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 3: pretty keen to see agriculture be prioritizing any event of 50 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 3: some fuel shortages hitting us. But at the moment, the 51 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 3: concern is mostly around the cost. 52 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: So with that, I mean with the cut, with the 53 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: fuel excised cut, is it like, is it a helpful 54 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: measure from your perspective? 55 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 3: Look in the short term, if we see that the 56 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 3: price is down in the terminal gate, we said, they 57 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 3: reflected at the bowser, that will help because it reduces 58 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 3: the cost of the freight. We need to see that 59 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 3: passed on through the fuel levels and make sure that 60 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 3: our growers are actually paying less. There is a slight 61 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 3: concern that, as you know, you drop the fuel excise, 62 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 3: that actually increases demand a little bit. So if we 63 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 3: do run into those supply issues in the future, does 64 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 3: that exacerbated a little bit. But you know, any effort 65 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 3: at the moment to reduce the cost of the freight 66 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 3: is welcomed. 67 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: And then what about when you look at this heavy 68 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: vehicle road user charge, it's been scraped for three months 69 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: as well. What kind of difference does that make you 70 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: know for farmers in terms of those transport costs. 71 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 3: Well, again, we'd like to see those pass through from 72 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 3: the transport industry, so you reduce the transport costs for 73 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 3: the trucks. Hopefully that reduces our cost to transport. 74 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: Now, talk me through some of the other concerns. Obviously 75 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: it's not just about petrol for you guys, but there 76 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: are also issues with fertilizer as well. Is that correct. 77 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 3: Absolutely, there's a real concern around your ear or any 78 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: nitrogen based fertilizers at the moment. Again, you talk on 79 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: some of these national meetings and there's reassurance that there 80 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 3: is supply out there, but we need to make sure 81 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 3: that it gets to the places it needs to needs 82 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 3: to go. I've had a couple of conversations with our 83 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 3: key supplies here in the territory. They are running low 84 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 3: on stock and they're struggling to find some. It's particularly 85 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 3: impacting our veggiegrowers at the moment. So yeah, look, it 86 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 3: is a real concern with our growers that are struggling 87 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 3: to get supply, they can't guarantee their future supply. I've 88 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 3: seen that there's been an announcement in the last twenty 89 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 3: four hours to put together a Fertilizer task Force. 90 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: That's exceptionally welcomed. 91 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I bet you know, particularly if you've got growers 92 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: at the moment they're not able to get their hands 93 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: on fertilizer. What's that going to mean? First off, for them, 94 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: but more broadly for consumers. 95 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 3: If you don't have enough fertilizer, yields drop, quality of 96 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 3: produce drops, and you combine that with price, then grow 97 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 3: start to make a decision about whether they bother planting 98 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 3: at all. It means you've got a drop in supply, 99 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 3: and then that supply and demand curve hits the shelves 100 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 3: when you know there's less available that people want to 101 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 3: buy than you see that push up in prices. 102 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, you just touched on this obviously, the 103 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: federal government announcing a range of measures to assist farmers, 104 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: including that establishment of the Fertilizer Task Force, and tax 105 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: payers then to underwrite the purchase of fertilizer, Like, how 106 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: important are these measures going to be? And you know, like, 107 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: what are farmers saying to you at the moment? 108 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 3: Look, the measures are really really important. Underwriting the purchase 109 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 3: of fuel and fertilizer gives our supplies a confidence to 110 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 3: actually go out and buy it and make sure it 111 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 3: hits the shore price is a magic concern. But the 112 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 3: bigger problem down the tracks. If we don't have any 113 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 3: supply at all, that's a much bigger risk. So if 114 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 3: it gives, if it encourages people to purchase what we 115 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 3: actually need and we have to pay a little bit higher, 116 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 3: that's a better outcome than not having any at all. 117 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, is there anything we can do as consumers? Like, 118 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: I know, like our farmers are a resilient bunch. There 119 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: is no doubt about that right across Australia. You know, 120 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: you guys dealing with floods, you're dealing with cyclones, you're 121 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: dealing with drought, all sorts of things. But you know, 122 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: this is something that's sort of, you know, a man 123 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: made issue that none of us had really anticipated. Is 124 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 1: there anything that we can do as consumers to try 125 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: and support our territory farmers? 126 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 2: Absolutely? 127 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 3: By local, Buy from your territories, buy from your local markets, 128 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 3: buy direct from farm support you growers, and I know 129 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 3: there's been a lot of messaging, hoarding or whatever, and 130 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 3: you know, we're not seeing a huge amount of that 131 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 3: in the territory, which is great. People are getting around 132 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 3: the farmers, but we need to make sure that you 133 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 3: know that there is diesel available. Yeah, and look, I 134 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 3: go back to that resilient point. They are an exceptionally 135 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 3: resilient bunch. They're excellent problem solvers, but you know, it 136 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 3: would be nice if they didn't have to be quite 137 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 3: so resilient. 138 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 2: We go back to cyclone FA. 139 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 3: You know the issues that sort of hit the industry 140 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 3: late November December, you go into the floods now it's 141 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 3: been a really, really tough time financially, So you know, 142 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 3: any support that can be provided both at a federal 143 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 3: or as state level to those growers to help them 144 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: get through what is really a sort of a bit 145 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 3: of a black Swan event. It's not anything that anyone 146 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 3: can plan for, so any support to get through the 147 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 3: next sort of twelve to twenty four months as we 148 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 3: work through this, we're much appreciated. 149 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: And Andrew, Like, you know, we talk about the northern territory, 150 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: but when you look more broadly to the rest of Australia. 151 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: How reliant is the rest of Australia as well or 152 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: Northern Territory farmers and what we export? 153 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 3: Lot of a lot of places down south export there, 154 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 3: you know, frouged overseas. Almost all of ours goes into 155 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 3: interstate markets. We're a huge supply of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne 156 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:11,679 Speaker 3: and our mangos going. 157 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: To was out of Australia. 158 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 3: We've feed the country before everyone else comes online. So 159 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 3: you know, we're as important as any other supply chain food. 160 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, Like I just think to myself, it's so important, 161 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: you know, like what we are, you know, what we 162 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: have here in the Northern Territory is so important not 163 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: just to the rest of Australia but to us as well. 164 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: You know, the last thing we want is our farmers 165 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: to be in a situation where you worried about the 166 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: fertilizer and you're worried about fuel. 167 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. 168 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 3: Absolutely, And look, agriculture underpins a lot of these regional 169 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 3: and remote communities. You know, they're the backbone. They've been 170 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 3: there for decades and they'll continue to be there for decades. 171 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 3: So it's important that we've got Astrono and Resilient Agriculture 172 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 3: Network in the territory. 173 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, you're spot on, Andrew. It is lovely to catch 174 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: up with you this morning. Really appreciate your time. And yeah, 175 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: hopefully you know, we're hope. Yeah, I just really hope 176 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: things get better for everybody across the Northern Territory, particularly 177 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: you know, for our farmers. That certainty in terms of 178 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: the fuel and in terms of the fertilizer so very important. 179 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 2: Absolutely, thanks, thank. 180 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: You, thanks so much. Appreciate you joining us in the studio.