Mark Fowler

@timmort_ This is where I have got to. I’ve put a fair bit of our own know-how in here so my hope is that others are as willing to share so we can all benefit.

Grain growers in Western Australia and South Australia are being urged to provide on-ground evidence of mouse activity after applying ZP25 mouse bait to assist an emergency permit application for use of ZP50 mouse bait. More-> tinyurl.com/3x2svp6r

@sizov_andre @Farmer_adamp Reasons why more canola, less wheat in WA: 1. canola prices MUCH better, now and into future (oversupply of wheat; war effects) 2. strong early rains from Cyclone Narelle 3. good nutrient scavenger, but don’t agree needs less N 4. less fuel/freight costs 5. rotation after 2025

Looks reasonable. Western Australia, the country's biggest grain export region, is to cut wheat area by 14% - RTRS. --- Grain ​Industry Association of Western Australia: farmers to plant ​less #wheat, which is hungry for fertiliser and earns a ⁠low price, and more canola, which brings the best financial returns. The extent of land planted with ​wheat is set to fall 14% to 3.68 million hectares (9.1 million acres) from last year's 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres), it added. Barley area should grow 1% to 2.06 million hectares (5.1 ​million acres) from 2.04 million hectares (5 million acres), and canola area is set ​to expand 16% to 1.99 million hectares (4.9 million acres) from 1.71 million hectares (4.2 million acres). #oatt #sizovreport #iranwar #australia

Was anyone suspicious of how quiet China and Russia have been lately? From May, China will ban exports of sulphuric acid, roughly two-thirds of which feeds fertislier output. supplychaindigital.com/news/china-sul…

If you really have to think about the value of the farm lobby organisation @WAFarmers then getting @CSBPfertilisers to honour it’s commitments to nitrogen supplies pays for your subscription over and again. Time to pitch in and become a member v being a free rider!

@Matthill2417 @WAFarmersGrains These delegates VOLUNTEER a huge amount of their time & expertise to advocate for WA grain growers.

C’mon people. @WAFarmersGrains has a great cohort of top notch people advocating for their industry (you). Sign up and support those supporting you.

@cosfarming @WAFarmersGrains @Matthill2417 @WAFarmers 💯% This reassessment by CSBP has averted a potential EXTRA cost to growers of $355 for EVERY tonne of UAN to which FM applied. If you had a 500t UAN contract, that’s a >$100K saving. @WAFarmers membership … $900 (small) - $3000 (large). #goodeconomics #strongertogether

@WAFarmersGrains @Matthill2417 @WAFarmers To put a dollar value on this issue alone for those affected, probably pays a decade worth of membership. #strongertogether

@WAFarmers has advocated strongly on this issue (as it has on so many issues) on behalf of ALL WA farmers, despite only a third of WA farmers being members. If your business has benefited from this advocacy, and you are not already a member, then we would urge you to join up.

@HoolyMcg GSoA & UAS is what I have heard so far.

@mdfowler100 Granular NS ?

UPDATE on #csbpforcemajeure: CSBP to honour its UAN contracts by providing alternative N products at the same $/kgN as originally contracted. 👏 Listen to the discussion on today’s WA Country Hour (about 17:00). abc.net.au/listen/program…

@SimonPanizza @CSBPfertilisers I hear that @CSBPfertilisers is offering urea in lieu of UAN that was contracted at $615/t, but the price is well over $1200/t representing around 40% extra per unit N. As we thought, this is clearly about margin, not availability!! It seriously fails the pub test. #smells

@mdfowler100 @CSBPfertilisers should absolutely use Urea to honour UAN contracts at a $ per kg N basis. Whether they are legally obligated to or not

WA farmers will be watching CSBP closely to see if they go on to make any new sales of urea or UAN at the now market price. If they do, it will be clear that this has been about margin, not availability.

@Matthill2417 💯% … I remember honouring $1500/t contracts for MAP in 2008 when the market price had fallen to $800/t by seeding. We then had a devastating frost later that year and had to wash out some grain contracts, No force majeure rights there!!

I think all parties bear some responsibility here but, as usual, it will be the farmers that pay the bill. We will see.

My thoughts on the lessons & impacts from the recent action by @CSBPfertilisers and @summitfertz to declare force majeure on supply contracts.

@Matthill2417 @GrainProducers @GrainGrowersLtd @theGRDC The war has dramatically escalated input costs (fuel, fertiliser, etc) which could produce deep negative margins for grain growers. It is inappropriate in these circumstances for @theGRDC to collect 1% of GROSS farm gate revenues while holding $728.5m in cash reserves.

It’s time. It’s time for @GrainProducers and @GrainGrowersLtd to get together and demand a FULL, 100%, holiday from @theGRDC levy this year. If they can’t do this simple thing for their members I really don’t see the point of their existence.

@darjeelingfarm @AuNutrien So has @cbhgroup, who so far seems to have handled the situation very well.

@mdfowler100 @AuNutrien has honoured all our pricing....and tonnages.

@HoolyMcg @SimonPanizza @CSBPfertilisers Sorry @HoolyMcg.That is not correct if they have validly exercised their rights under the FM clause.If they have not exercised their rights in accordance with the contract, then you may have a right for damages for the difference between contract price and lowest cost alternative

@mdfowler100 @SimonPanizza @CSBPfertilisers The way FM works. If I can locate and Aquire N from somewhere else myself. And the cost is just say $1400 + $300 freight. Csbp must pay for the difference between fixed price contract and current delivered price ?

@AgribizLiz @belvarischetti @WAFarmersGrains See also 👇

A great interview on yesterday's ABC WA Country Hour with @belvarischetti. @WAFarmersGrains President, @mdfowler100, spoke in plain English about the concept of Force Majeure and the current situation with fertiliser. Listen around 39:55 abc.net.au/listen/program…

@S_M_Bowman @larke_craig @CSBPfertilisers My understanding is that Summit sources its UAN from CSBP and have had their supply contracts reduced by the same amount as CSBP customers (on the basis of force majeure).

@larke_craig @CSBPfertilisers @mdfowler100 That’s not good

@CSBPfertilisers not putting someone on yesterdays country hour to explain their position is pretty damning. @mdfowler100 did a good job of explaining farmers’ concerns.