How Oil Prices Impact Natural Yield
Update Date: 31/03/2026
As we are dealing with a dynamic and evolving situation, the information we provide here is guidance only, and could change at any time.
Summary
Due to the Iran conflict, oil prices have increased substantially, which in turn has increased the import costs for Aquatree, Bootstrap Farmer and GreensStalk products. An increase in oil prices has a knock-on effect to most parts of our business, including domestic courier costs and packaging.
We are anticipating price rises for our products in the near future, both due to increased import costs for the products and the knock-on price increases on local products and services we use.
We will not increase prices of existing stock. We have always adjusted product prices either up or down based on what they cost us, generally due to changes in freight costs. So, while current stock is held at current prices, new stock prices will likely go up in price.
Sea vs Air. We have always tried to get stock in by sea freight which is the cheapest way for us to ship, however a ship can take 3 months to arrive from the US to Brisbane. Sea freight costs have increased and will likely increase more.
We normally satisfy backorders by using air-freight (because its 1-2 weeks instead of 3 months). When we use air freight our cost doubles, but we have never passed this cost onto customers before. Currently there is at least an additional 30% cost to air-freight, which we cannot absorb.
Out-Of-Stock Items. Currently, we are in a state were all costs have increased (sea and air) and we have to consider whether the additional cost represents a viable retail price to pass on to our customers and which product lines to prioritise over others.
We have disabled product backorders. This is to protect both our customers and ourselves from the risk of price increases and product unavailability. We are not routinely placing orders for out-of-stock items by air.
We have removed bulk discount packs for Bootstrap Farmer products. This is a temporary measure that we will revert as soon as shipping costs reduce. We love to provide bulk discounts but at the moment it is just not viable.
Domestic Courier Impact. Couriers will increase the cost of getting products from Natural Yield to you. This is reflected automatically in the shipping price quoted on the site. We have no control over that price. Couriers are also picking up less frequently, we assume to maximise the fuel efficiency by making sure they have full loads.
Current Stock Status
At the moment we are out-of-stock of some popular products in the Bootstrap Farmer range, and Bootstrap Farmer have been out-of-stock as well. We are ordering top-up supplies both by air, as well as bulk replacement stock by sea (3 month wait). The prices of products will most likely increase when we restock them.
