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How a fertilizer shortage caused by the Iran war could affect U ... - KUOW News & Stories National How a fertilizer shortage caused by the Iran war could affect U.S. food prices Joe Hernandez July 03, 2026 / 2:00 am A worker spreads fertilizer after planting potatoes at Bluff View Farms on April 24 in West Jefferson, North Carolina. High fertilizer prices due to the war in Iran have hit farms already dealing with severe weather, tariffs and the high costs of fuel and labor. Getty Images North America When the war with Iran started, one of the top economic concerns globally was the slowdown of oil shipments. But there was another critical export that got stuck in the region when hostilities began: fertilizer. Before the war, around one-third of the world's fertilizer transported by sea passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to UN Trade and Development. The waterway has become a shipping chokepoint in recent months. With the strait closed, fertilizer shipments from the Persian Gulf slumped and prices rose , affecting countries all around the world that import fertilizer. The war also created a global shortage of natural gas, a key component in nitrogen fertilizer manufacturi…

Fertilizer costs reaching a tipping point - World-Grain.com KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — Surging fertilizer prices are beginning to reshape global grain production, as farmers from Argentina to Europe cut nutrient use, switch into less input-intensive crops or scale back planting altogether, raising certain risks for wheat, corn and barley output in the 2026 season, and possibly beyond. The global fertilizer market is no stranger to supply disruptions and price swings, but the war between the United States and Iran has sent shockwaves through supply chains on a scale rarely seen in recent years. By disrupting trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for exports of urea, ammonia and sulfur, the conflict triggered a price spike that reverberated quickly across importing markets. According to the European Commission, urea prices have jumped 55% since the conflict began in late February. In Argentina, benchmark urea prices surged to around $1,000 per tonne from $500 before the crisis, and even in countries rich in fertilizer supply, farmers warned inputs had become unaffordable. Potential relief could be arriving soon as the US and Iran are expected to formally sign a …

Global Fertilizer Crisis Deepens: Strait of Hormuz Closure, Diesel ... The global agriculture sector is staring down a perfect storm of fertilizer disruptions, diesel fuel shortages, and skyrocketing energy costs—all triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East after “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28, 2026. What began as a geopolitical flashpoint has rapidly become an energy and food security crisis, with ripple effects hitting farms from the U.S. heartland to Australia, California, Europe, and beyond. Fertilizer production is inextricably linked to natural gas (via the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process for nitrogen fertilizers), while diesel powers the tractors, combines, and transport fleets that keep fields productive. With roughly one-third of global seaborne fertilizer trade, significant LNG flows, and 20-25% of world oil passing through the Hormuz chokepoint, the blockade has choked supplies and sent prices surging. LNG and Natural Gas: The Hidden Driver of Fertilizer Production Nitrogen fertilizers like urea and ammonia—accounting for the bulk of global use—rely on natural gas for ~80% of production…

Iran, Fertilizer, and Food Security: Risks, Impacts, and Policy Responses Photo: Bill Barksdale/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Critical Questions byCaitlin Welsh Published April 1, 2026 The energy and fertilizer market disruptions resulting from the Iran war are threatening agriculture markets and food prices around the world. How could these market shocks affect food systems? What evidence are we seeing to date, and what are the policy solutions for farmers and consumers—in the United States and worldwide? Q1: How is the Iran war affecting agriculture markets and food prices? A1:The war with Iran is affecting food systems through two mechanisms: the price of energy and the price of fertilizers, which are pushed higher through the destruction of energy-production infrastructure and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. High energy prices translate to high food prices for several reasons. Energy—including motor oils and liquified gases—powers food production and processing, from tractors and irrigation systems to transportation and refrigeration. High energy costs for farmers, food transporters, and retailers are passed…

How a fertilizer shortage caused by the Iran war could affect ... - LAist News How a fertilizer shortage caused by the Iran war could affect US food prices By Joe Hernandez | NPR Published Jul 4, 2026 11:00 AM A worker spreads fertilizer after planting potatoes at Bluff View Farms on April 24 in West Jefferson, North Carolina. High fertilizer prices due to the war in Iran have hit farms already dealing with severe weather, tariffs and the high costs of fuel and labor. ( Allison Joyce / Getty Images ) This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today . When the war with Iran started, one of the top economic concerns globally was the slowdown of oil shipments. But there was another critical export that got stuck in the region when hostilities began: fertilizer. Before the war, around one-third of the world's fertilizer transported by sea passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to UN Trade and Development. The waterway has become a shipping chokepoint in recent months. With the strait closed, fertilizer shipments from the Persian Gulf slumped and prices rose , affect…

Fertilizer prices surge amid Iran war, sparking food security ... - CNBC Farmers in the Northern Hemisphere are heading into the crucial spring months, during which major fieldwork must begin. Their peers in the south, meanwhile, are busy harvesting crops before the winter sets in. However, their work now takes place as the Iran war creates serious supply constraints for essential fertilizer products — fueling massive price spikes and warnings of looming food insecurity. Around one-third of the global seaborne fertilizer trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Nations. The waterway, a critical shipping route that runs along Iran's southern border, has been severely disrupted since the start of the war, withtraffic effectively coming to a haltand several shipsbeing hit by projectilesin or near the waterway. Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, the price of fertilizer — much of which is produced in the Middle East — has skyrocketed. Fertilizer futures contracts are less liquid than other commodities, making prices more opaque. But analysts working in the sector told CNBC that they had seen the cost of FOB granular urea in Egy…

Middle East Conflict Revives Concerns Over Fertilizer ... Share This Twitter Facebook LinkedIn download PDF Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier Center for Commercial Agriculture Purdue University April 20, 2026 farmdoc daily ( 16 ): 68 Recommended citation format: Colussi, J. and M. Langemeier. " Middle East Conflict Revives Concerns Over Fertilizer Dependence in the U.S. and Brazil ." farmdoc daily ( 16 ): 68, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 20, 2026. Permalink Four years after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, which pushed fertilizer prices to historic highs, the current conflict in the Middle East has once again brought attention to the risks associated with dependence on imported fertilizers for agricultural production. With Iran restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route linking the Persian Gulf to global export markets, major supply disruptions have been affecting the United States and Brazil – the world’s two largest country-level fertilizer importers. This article compares fertilizer supply and demand trends over the past five years in both countries, analyzing the scale of their e…

How a fertilizer shortage caused by the Iran war could affect U.S. food prices The closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipments of fertilizer and natural gas, a key component in fertilizer manufacturing. It's unlikely to cause major price hikes for U.S. grocery shoppers.

Fertilizer crisis hits farmers as Iran war disrupts supply | AP News Farmers around the world are running short of fertilizer because of the war in Iran, which could make food more expensive later this year. A bag of fertilizer is ready to be used on Elizabeth Wangua’s land in Limuru, Kenya Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jackson Njehia) Elizabeth Wangua applies fertilizer to her land in Limuru, Kenya Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jackson Njehia) A cargo ship carrying vehicles sails through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz in the United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Farmers around the world are feeling the squeeze of the Iran war. Gas prices have shot up and fertilizer supplies are waning due to Tehran’s near shutdown of theStrait of Hormuzin retaliation for U.S. and Israeli bombing. The fertilizer shortage is putting the livelihood of farmers in developing countries — already troubled byrising temperatures and erratic weather systems— further at risk, and could lead to people everywherepaying more for food. The poorest farmers in the Northern Hemisphere rely onfertilizer imports from the Gulf, and the shortag…