TERRORISM HITS FARMERS

Now that may read like a true tabloid headline. But it's true. Terrorism fears have been blamed for fertiliser shortages in Australia over the past month. And the country's farmers are not too pleased with the situation.

Apparently supplies of ammonium nitrate, which can be used to build bombs as well as being the major ingredient for fertilisers, have more than halved recently -- and it's expected to be a major talking point when the country's fertiliser industry holds its national conference in the Tasmanian capital, Hobart, this coming week.

I would think that national conferences on fertilisers are usually fairly boring events, I mean how much can you say about the subject? (No jokes about politicians being able to talk crap incessantly, please). The Hobart gathering, however, looks like discussing some explosive issues.

Nick Drew from the Fertiliser Industry Federation of Australia, says farmers have been forced to find alternatives -- and the mind boggles at that: I remember what we used to put on the rhubarb patch all those years ago.

But don't worry -- the shortage has not come about because terrorists have cornered the market in ammonium nitrate to manufacture their bombs. The main reason for the shortage is evidently the new Australian laws restricting sales of security-sensitive fertilisers.

Would I be right in predicting that it's only a matter of time before Indian Cow Dung is traded on the world's commodity futures markets?