"Some people bought well before harvest when they were warned prices might go through the roof and borrowed money to do that," she said.

"Others had to hold off buying fertiliser altogether because they just didn't have the money.

"Those who borrowed money and bought early have been hit with a double-whammy."

Tanja says there is a lot of uncertainty about the best way forward.

"The worst thing is that farmers' confidence in their decision-making has really been affected by this," she said.

"The stakes have never been as high as they are now.

"Usually, when you buy fertiliser the price may change $50 a tonne or so.

"But it's never been in the hundreds of dollars like it is now."

Although cashflow is an issue for many farmers, Tanja believes many will continue with their usual fertiliser regimes.

"I don't think anyone is cutting back any more than they already have," she said.

"After three years of poor seasons there's likely to be some nutrient carryover.

"We encourage people to soil test, but we realise that's another cost."

Even so, Tanja believes there may be a reduction in the area cropped this season.

"Grain quality has been affected by the drought and prices have fallen because of the global economic crisis," she said.

"Yields have also been very variable, with some people around Mannum, SA, getting 1 tonne/hectare, but others in the Lameroo region harvesting less than 0.5t/ha.

"This means some people won't be able to afford to buy all their fertiliser needs up front.

"They will have to get some at the start of the season and top up later."