The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is creating real cost pressures across Australian agriculture, particularly for fuel and fertiliser. The good news is that the Australian Government has introduced a range of support measures, and the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) wants to ensure you know what’s available and how to access it. Here’s a rundown of the key programs: 

Manage your tax obligations with an ATO payment plan 

If fuel cost increases are putting pressure on your business cash flow, the ATO’s fuel response payment plan could provide some breathing room. The plan requires no upfront payment and spreads your liability across 36 equal monthly instalments over three years. 

There’s also the potential to have general interest charges remitted, provided you keep up with your first three monthly payments and bring any outstanding lodgements up to date during that period. 

You can apply directly or through your tax agent. Applications are open until 30 June 2026. 

Access zero-interest loans through the Economic Resilience Program 

Eligible Australian businesses can apply for zero interest loans through the $1 billion Economic Resilience Program (ERP). The ERP was designed to assist logistics and manufacturing businesses in areas such as freight, fuel, plastics and fertiliser that are materially impacted by market disruptions and input price rises caused by the conflict in the Middle East, to help maintain essential production and logistics capacity. 

The ERP opened on 20 April 2026 and is being administered by participating banks or the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC). An overview of the ERP is below with further and more detailed information on the ERP available on the NRFC’s website, including an FAQ document, created to help potential applicants understand the program, its intent, key eligibility requirements and how to apply. 

Loan funds borrowed through the ERP can only be used for specific purposes: 

• Defray increased costs resulting from increased prices for fuel or related inputs; 

• Assist a company’s recovery from supply chain, including fuel-related, market disruptions; and 

• Used by key manufacturers to increase production of critical products such as fuels, fertiliser and plastics, where Australia has an urgent need to increase sovereign capability in critical supply chains. 

Loan funds cannot be used to consolidate or refinance existing debt. This does not include refinancing short term credit card, or fuel card debt incurred from fuel price increases due to the conflict in the Middle East. 

For NRFC-administered loans: loans administered directly by the NRFC are tailored to customer needs. No interest is payable for a bank-administered loan. 

Fertiliser supply is being actively protected 

For growers concerned about fertiliser availability and pricing, the Government’s $10 billion Fuel and Fertiliser Security and Resilience Package includes a $7.5 billion Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility (FFSF), delivered through Export Finance Australia (EFA). 

The FFSF provides financial tools, including price-risk support, to help fertiliser importers proceed with shipments that might otherwise not go ahead under volatile market conditions. This helps keep supply flowing into Australia during the current disruption. 

The facility has already supported more than 209,000 tonnes of urea across six shipments, with an additional 38,500 tonnes secured from Brunei. 

While retail prices will continue to reflect market conditions, the FFSF helps reduce the risk of supply shortages.  

Click here to read further.  

Talk to your bank 

Banks have established specialist teams to support small businesses managing these pressures. Depending on your circumstances, support options may include: 

• Interest-only repayment periods
• Temporary payment deferrals 
• Fee waivers 
• Loan restructuring 
• Emergency credit limit increases 

Every business is different, so it’s worth contacting your bank directly to discuss what support may be available. 

Need help working out what applies to you? 

Need help working out what applies to you? 

For more details to find support for your business, you can find additional information here.