I'm an Aussie farmer - and this is why the war in Iran might actually be a GOOD thing for our country

By MATT JONES, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 07:43, 16 April 2026 | Updated: 07:43, 16 April 2026 A pig farmer believes the fuel crisis could be the catalyst for cheaper groceries in the future if growers switch to electric systems and improve soil quality.  Matthew Evans, a pig farmer and food activist, believes now is the time for Australia to become less reliant on imported diesel and fertiliser. Mr Evans, who runs a 70-acre farm south of Hobart in the Huon Valley, says the issue is not the fuel crisis itself, but how Australia responds to it.  He has called on farmers to rethink how they grow food and consider going electric, pointing to China as an example of a successful system overhaul.  In 2024 alone, China sold more than 12million electric vehicles, with around half of all new car sales electric, up from just six per cent in 2020. Mr Evans predicted Australians would pay less for food within a decade if farm machinery shifted to electric and soil quality was prioritised. 'I think we can save 20 per cent in the cost of produce that comes from farmers. We need to make changes now or we will see higher food costs across the board forever and we don't need to do that,' he told the Daily Mail.  Mr Evans said when transport and farming systems run on electricity, farmers were far less exposed to global oil shocks.  Tasmanian pig armer Matthew Evans (pictured) has called for Australia to act now to ensure we become less reliant on diesel and fertiliser The fuel crisis is crippling the farming industry as costs skyrocket (pictured, a barley farm) 'We're on the cusp of rolling out electric trucks and tractors. We can power our vehicles using solar panels on a farmhouse roof,' he said.  'The energy transformation is about to reach big machinery, transforming the way we grow food. If we don't become self-reliant rather than relying on imports, I think the food system is going to be in for a massive shake-up.' Australia's entire food system relies on imported fertiliser and diesel. 'When that gets disrupted, everything gets more expensive, and that flows straight through to supermarket prices,' Mr Evans said. 'As appalling as this crisis is, I see it as a moment where we can start a conversation about the future and ask if we can be less reliant and how we can do that.' Mr Evans says food can be grown using less diesel and fertiliser, but it will involve a change in mindset and a focus on improving soil quality to promote plant growth.  'There are ways to improve soil fertility on farms where you're reliant on your own skills and capacity and that's about building soil health,' he said. 'We rely on fertiliser rather than soil health so that's the really big, low-hanging fruit.' Farmers need to look at soil quality rather than rely only on fertiliser to produce crops China is going electric with its farming vehicles to become less reliant on oil  Mr Evans warned the cost of petrol was just the tip of the iceberg of an imminent food shortage, saying it was a 'terrible time for farmers'.  'We close one strait in the Gulf and diesel prices go up 90 per cent and there's a food shortage coming,' he said.  'About 40 per cent of vegetable growers aren't planting or are considering not planting, so we're in for a big shock with supply later in the year. 'This is a critical point. Diesel is never going to be as cheap as it was and will get scarcer while artificial fertiliser remains dependent on burning a lot of gas or oil.' Australia's farming community will come together for a national conference next week called Grounded 2026, at which it will discuss solutions to the Iran war crisis. The two-day event will bring together more than 80 farmers, scientists and industry leaders to share real-world methods to reduce reliance on fertiliser and fuel. The current fuel crisis is the third major fuel and fertiliser shock in six years, following the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war, where fertiliser prices rose by 200 per cent. 'At some point, you have to ask, how many times do we need to learn the same lesson?' Mr Evans said. Australia currently produces enough food to feed three times its population and exports around 70 per cent of what it grows. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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