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Plant nutrients are constantly being "exported" from the farm in the form of plant and animal products. Even in the best-managed agricultural systems with efficient nutrient cycling, losses are inevitable. This means that the addition of plant nutrients in the form of fertilizers is necessary to maintain or enhance a soil's productive capacity.
Fertilizers are one of the major physical inputs to Australian agricultural production and account for over 12% of the value of material and services inputs used. In 1999 Australian farmers used around 5.25 million tonnes of fertilizer products with a value of approximately $2 billion. The value of the fertilizer industry to the Australian economy is conservatively estimated at $8 billion.
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The Australian industry is made up of manufacturers, importers, blenders, retail distributors or agents, and contract applicators. It should be noted however, that all manufacturers import significant quantities of manufactured fertilizers.
Both manufacturers and importers market through dealers and/or agents who provide farmers with a local service point and often employ advisory agronomists. Many manufacturers also operate regional distribution and blending service centres
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