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Australia, India and several other countries are seeking Indonesian fertilizer supplies as geopolitical tensions disrupt global markets, but industry players say long-term competitiveness will depend on technology and workforce upgrades.
A farmer sprays fertilizer on July 3, 2024, on tobacco plants at a field on the slopes of Mount Sindoro in Temanggung regency, Central Java. (Antara/Anis Efizudin)
Indonesia is emerging as a global player in the fertilizer market, with countries turning to Jakarta for supplies as the Middle East crisis threatens global food security and energy distribution.“Many countries are now asking Indonesia for help, because we have surplus fertilizer production. Australia, India, Brazil and the Philippines have all approached us,” President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday.
Australia was one of the first countries to secure Indonesian fertilizer, with Indonesia shipping 47,250 tonnes of urea worth Rp 600 billion (US$33.8 million) on May 14 as part of a 250,000-tonne commitment that could eventually expand to 500,000 tonnes valued at Rp 7 trillion.
