Farmers defend stockpiling as regional Australia bears brunt of fuel crisis

Rural fuel distributor Paul McCallum said demand spiked at the start of the month after the US and Israel bombed Iran, with farmers bringing diesel orders forward and Inland Petroleum receiving requests for about 1.5m litres. As an independent buyer on the wholesale market, McCallum said prices were unusually reviewed at about 4pm, triggering an 8c rise, and that wholesale refined product prices have since climbed by 70c a litre.

The federal government has said there are no fuel shortages and urged people not to panic-buy after dozens of service stations ran out of petrol amid a disruption to energy supplies caused by the Middle East conflict. The crisis has been particularly acute in regional Australia, and McCallum denied a widespread run by individual motorists while describing a surge in demand from farmers who were "immediately very concerned" and wanted to shore up their supplies.

Australia, regional Australia

farmers, stockpiling, diesel, inland petroleum, paul mccallum, wholesale prices, 70c rise, petrol shortages, regional australia, panic-buying