‘Makes Covid look like a tea party’: Australian food prices could rise for the next year, farmers warn

Australian farmers are warning that food prices could rise for at least the next year due to supply chain disruptions stemming from the US-Israel conflict with Iran. The conflict threatens supplies of fertilizer and fossil fuel resins—materials critical to food production and packaging—creating potential shortages of everyday staples. Michael Hampson, CEO of dairy cooperative Norco, suggests a six to 12-month disruption is a best-case scenario, depending on when the Strait of Hormuz reopens and global petrochemical supply chains stabilize. The warnings underscore how geopolitical tensions in the Middle East can cascade into higher consumer costs in Australia through disrupted agricultural inputs and manufacturing materials. Farmers describe the potential impact as significantly more severe than Covid-related price pressures.