Hormuz conflict triggers fertilizer support wave

Strait of Hormuz disruptions linked to the Iran war have choked off fertilizer shipments from the Middle East and pushed prices sharply higher, prompting a wave of emergency support and trade measures as governments try to shield farmers ahead of key planting seasons.

A chart based on analysis of vessel traffic through the Strait shows fertilizer-related sailings falling to a fraction of pre-conflict levels, with only sporadic movements since early March. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical corridor for Middle Eastern nitrogen and sulphur exports, so even a short-lived interruption has immediate repercussions for fertilizer markets and farm input costs.