Australia's fertiliser supply is under threat
91% of our fertiliser is imported. The shipping lanes are closed.
If Australian farmers cannot access enough fertiliser, they cannot grow enough food. Crop yields drop. Food prices rise. Australians go hungry.
The Black Stuff is a 100% Australian-sourced natural humate that helps existing fertiliser go up to 30% further. No imports. No chemical processing. A sovereign solution from Far North Queensland.
91%
of fertiliser imported
3.8M
tonnes of urea per year
$1,200+
per tonne urea price
0%
domestic production buffer
The crisis
This is not a price spike. This is a structural supply failure.
The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Australia has zero domestic fertiliser production buffer. ASPI has publicly called fertiliser supply chains 'a hidden vulnerability' comparable to fuel security.
Supply lines are cut
Australia imports approximately 3.8 million tonnes of urea annually through shipping lanes that are now disrupted. There is no domestic production to fall back on.
Farmers cannot afford to waste
At $1,200+ per tonne, every kilogram of fertiliser lost to leaching or runoff is money Australian growers cannot get back. Efficiency is no longer optional.
The market will not fix this
Fertiliser companies profit from scarcity. They have zero incentive to promote products that help growers use less. This is a market failure that requires action.
An Australian solution
The Black Stuff helps existing fertiliser go up to 30% further.
A dry natural organic humate sourced from Lynch's Crater in Far North Queensland. 100% Australian. Zero import dependency. Zero chemical processing.
Sovereign supply
Sourced entirely from North Queensland. No international shipping dependencies. No exposure to disrupted trade routes.
Up to 30% fertiliser reduction
Field trials and operating experience indicate fertiliser requirements can reduce by up to 30% when TBS is integrated into existing programs.
Persistent and durable
Granular TBS does not degrade in the soil. It persists, continuing to improve nutrient retention and soil performance across seasons.
Proven, not experimental
The science behind humic acid is mainstream. Even Incitec Pivot blends humic acid into their own commercial fertiliser products.
230,000
years of natural formation
Lynch's Crater, Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland
The product
What is The Black Stuff?
The Black Stuff is sourced from the Krakatoa deposit at Lynch's Crater — a maar lake on the Atherton Tablelands formed by volcanic eruption roughly 230,000 years ago. Peat accumulated under anaerobic conditions over millennia, producing a naturally concentrated humic substance with no chemical extraction required.
- Air-dried, screened and sized
- Dry granular or powder form only — solid product, not liquid
- Free from chemical treatment
- Free from alkaline processing
- Free from additives
- Persistent — granular TBS does not degrade in soil
Note: TBS has a low pH and depending on soils may need some lime balancing. Surface applications can dry out and blow away or be washed away — incorporation is recommended.
About the resourceBest fit
Best suited to premium and performance-focused growing systems.
The Black Stuff is not a one-size-fits-all product.
Horticulture
High-value crops where precise nutrient availability and moisture holding directly influence quality, pack-out rates, and return on input spend.
Orchardists
Permanent plantings where long-term soil biology, root-zone condition, and input efficiency compound over years, not just seasons.
Tropical Fruit & Bananas
Intensive programs in high-rainfall zones where leaching and soil structure are persistent challenges. TBS improves soil and plant health, increasing resistance to pathogens including TR1 and TR4.
Product & pricing
Two formats. Granular solid form only.
Prices include GST and are ex-factory (833 Topaz Road, Glen Allyn, QLD 4885).
$770 / m³
Bulk
Per cubic metre, includes GST, ex-factory. Suits broadacre and commercial-scale programs.
$990 / bag
1m³ Palleted Bags
One cubic metre palleted bags, includes GST, ex-factory. Suits smaller operations and trial programs.
Evidence on file
The laboratory data is the warranty.
The Black Stuff competes on evidence, not marketing.
Laboratory analysis
Full compositional analysis of humic acid, fulvic acid, and organic matter. Available on request for serious inquiries.
Independent field trial results
Trial summaries from horticultural and tropical fruit applications. Data includes yield observations, nutrient retention, and soil condition.
Crop-specific observations
Application notes and performance data by crop type and soil condition. Designed to help agronomists assess fit.
Yield persistence & fertiliser efficiency data
Multi-season observations on whether input efficiency gains hold across crop cycles, not just in single-application trials.
From the field
What growers are seeing.
Independent Queensland growers report their results with The Black Stuff across a range of crops, soil types, and growing conditions.
From 1–2 fruit where they set, I’m now seeing up to a dozen fruit per set. Lime production has increased by more than 200%.
>200% increase in fruit per set, sustained across seasons
John Jennings
LimesMareeba, QLD
1.6 ha, planted 2006. TBS trial on 1 row in 2018; full block treated 2019.
Before the application, much of the fruit was “pale” — it would set but never grow to commercial crop. With TBS the trees are a dark green. TBS on the limes has eliminated the threat.
Phytophthora eliminated in lower paddock. Commercial fruit set restored.
Oscar Bugno
Lemons & LimesDimbulah, QLD
5.2 ha across two paddocks. TBS applied 2022.
The portion of the block that had the humate applied appeared to be healthier, had thicker stronger petioles, and larger greener leaves. The difference was noticeable.
Visible improvement despite extreme drought followed by 200+ mm/day monsoon rains
Manou Vue
TaroO’Briens Hill, QLD
Fresh Touch. Applied alongside Dolomite Lime, Gypsum, and balanced NPKS.
The TBS-applied plants are a strong green while the untreated plants are pale and anaemic.
Visible differentiation within 8 months. 300 treated vs 150 untreated trees.
John Jennings
Custard ApplesMareeba, QLD
Red sandy soils. 2 m³ TBS applied July 2025.
The Lilli Pilli is doing particularly well. The Davidson Plum produced early.
600 trees across 4 native species thriving on TBS-treated soils since 2021
Simon Mattsson
Native Fruit TreesMarian, QLD
Qualified Agronomist. Rocky to volcanic soil.
Plants are healthy and have a good growth rate.
Healthy establishment and strong vegetative growth on red volcanic soil
Tou Lee
Cavendish BananasWangan, QLD
Lee Agriculture. TBS added at planting in 2025.
All growers are independent. All locations are in Queensland, Australia.
The movement
The fertiliser companies will not promote this. Farmers cannot wait. The government must act.
We are calling on Australian politicians to investigate The Black Stuff as a strategic fertiliser extender, fund grower trials at scale, and classify domestic soil conditioners as strategic inputs.