Fertiliser Supply Crisis in Australia: How Attapulgite Clay and Diatomaceous Earth Can Support Crop Production

As Australia enters the critical sowing season for winter crops, farmers are facing unprecedented pressure on fertiliser and agrochemical supply. Rising diesel costs, freight disruptions, and geopolitical instability — particularly impacting supply routes through the Middle East — are placing serious constraints on imported urea, DAP, and other key inputs.

Australia currently imports the vast majority of its fertiliser requirements, leaving crop production highly exposed to global supply shocks. With limited domestic nitrogen production and increasing export restrictions from key supplier nations, the question is no longer just about securing fertiliser — but how to make every tonne go further.

This is where attapulgite clay and diatomaceous earth, mined in Western Australia, are emerging as critical performance minerals for Australian agriculture.

Australian grain farmer sowing winter crop at sunrise — attapulgite clay soil conditioner and local fertiliser inputs

Attapulgite Clay: Maximising Fertiliser Efficiency When Supply Is Constrained

Attapulgite clay is not a fertiliser — it is something arguably more valuable in today’s conditions: a fertiliser efficiency multiplier.

With its naturally high surface area, adsorption capacity, and cation exchange properties, attapulgite enables farmers and fertiliser manufacturers to get more performance from less input.

Key benefits for crop production include:

• Improved nutrient retention in the root zone, reducing nitrogen and phosphorus losses

• Controlled-release performance, allowing fertilisers such as urea and DAP to last longer in soil

• Reduced leaching, particularly in sandy Australian soils prone to nutrient loss

• Enhanced soil moisture retention, supporting crop establishment during variable rainfall

• Improved soil structure, increasing aeration in heavy soils and water infiltration in hydrophobic soils

• Compatibility with agrochemicals and biologicals, acting as a stable, inert carrier

In a season where fertiliser is expensive and difficult to secure, these benefits directly translate to lower application rates, improved crop uptake, and more resilient yields.

AgriFix 102 & 103: Processed Attapulgite for Fertiliser and Agrochemical Applications

Hudson Resources mines high-quality attapulgite clay in Western Australia, providing a secure domestic source of this critical mineral. This material is then processed by Hudson Marketing Pty Ltd to produce AgriFix 102 and AgriFix 103, micro-granular attapulgite grades designed for fertiliser and agrochemical applications.

• AgriFix 102 – Ideal for micro-granular fertiliser formulations, soil conditioning, and nutrient adsorption, helping extend the effectiveness of applied fertiliser

• AgriFix 103 – Engineered for agrochemical carrier applications, including WDG and suspension fertilisers, ensuring stable dispersion and consistent delivery

These products are not substitutes for nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium — instead, they maximise the efficiency of every kilogram applied, making them highly relevant during supply shortages.

Applications include:

• Blending with urea or DAP to create slow-release fertiliser systems• Conditioning soils to retain nutrients and moisture for longer periods• Stabilising liquid and suspension fertilisers as demand shifts away from granular imports• Supporting precision agriculture practices, improving nutrient placement and uptake

Diatomaceous Earth: Protecting Yield and Supporting Plant Health

In addition to attapulgite clay, diatomaceous earth (DE) mined in Western Australia plays a complementary role in crop production and post-harvest protection.

Diatomaceous earth provides:

• Natural grain storage pest control, protecting harvested crops without chemical residues

• Silica for plant strength, improving resistance to drought, disease, and environmental stress

• Moisture regulation, supporting both soil performance and stored grain quality

In a high-cost fertiliser environment, protecting the yield that those inputs generate becomes just as important as improving their efficiency. DE helps ensure that crop value is preserved post-harvest.

A Local Solution to a Global Supply Problem

The current fertiliser disruption highlights a structural weakness in Australian agriculture — heavy reliance on imported inputs with long, fragile supply chains.

By contrast, locally mined attapulgite clay and diatomaceous earth from Western Australia provide:

• Reliable, domestic supply independent of global shipping disruptions• Reduced freight costs and faster delivery timelines

• AUD-based pricing with no exposure to currency volatility

• Lower carbon footprint compared to imported materials

• Long-term supply security from large Western Australian reserves

For farmers and manufacturers, this represents a shift toward greater input control, cost stability, and supply chain resilience.

Supporting Crop Production This Season — and Beyond

As farmers make critical decisions during the sowing window, the focus must shift from simply applying fertiliser to optimising how it performs in the soil.

Attapulgite clay and diatomaceous earth support this shift by:

• Increasing fertiliser efficiency and reducing waste

• Improving soil health, moisture retention, and structure

• Supporting both conventional and sustainable farming systems

• Reducing dependence on imported agrochemicals and fertilisers

Combined with practices such as precision placement, legume rotations, and biological inputs, these minerals form part of a more resilient and efficient crop production system.

The Strategic Opportunity for Australian Agriculture

This supply crisis is not just a short-term disruption — it is a turning point.

For years, low-cost imported fertiliser reduced the need to focus on efficiency. That environment has changed. The future of Australian agriculture will depend on doing more with less, improving soil performance, and securing reliable local inputs.

Attapulgite clay and diatomaceous earth represent underutilised, Australian-owned mineral resources that can play a central role in that transition — helping farmers maintain productivity today while building more sustainable and resilient systems for the future.

Enquire About Supply

Hudson Resources supplies raw attapulgite clay and diatomaceous earth from Western Australia, supporting domestic and export markets with long-term mineral availability.

Processed products, including AgriFix 102 & 103, are supplied by Hudson Marketing Pty Ltd, with bulk supply, technical data, and trial samples available for farmers, agronomists, and fertiliser manufacturers.

Contact Hudson Marketing for AgriFix products: hudson@hpgl.com.au

Contact Hudson Resources for trial raw mineral supply: hudsonresources@hpgl.com.au