BUSINESS

Middle East Conflict Disrupts Global Fertilizer Trade, Raising Food Crisis Fears

Published: Mar. 11, 2026 12:56 a.m. GMT+8

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Urea fertilizer is piled up inside an agricultural materials center in Goyang, South Korea, on March 10, 2026. Photo: VCG

As the war between Iran and the U.S. stretches into its 11th day, disruptions in the vital Strait of Hormuz are driving a sharp surge in global fertilizer prices, raising fears of a new food crisis.

Prices for key agricultural inputs have jumped since the conflict intensified. On the Chicago Board of Trade, benchmark urea futures hit $584.5 per ton on March 9, a 25% increase from Feb. 28. In China, the spot price for sulfur reached 4,550 yuan ($659) per ton the same day, up 17% over the same period.

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The Iran-U.S. war has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting up to half of global fertilizer trade and causing urea prices to surge 25% and sulfur 17% since late February 2024.
The fertilizer shortage threatens to reduce staple crop yields by 2%-5% and could drive global food prices up by 10%-30%, pushing 120–250 million more people into hunger.
Major importers like India and Brazil, and vulnerable regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa, face severe risks; Gulf states may exhaust food reserves within months.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

February 28, 2026：: Urea futures used as baseline for price comparison (before price surge).

March 3, 2026：: Iran banned all food and agricultural exports.

March 5, 2026：: Kuwait imposed a one-month ban on all food exports.

March 9, 2026：: On the Chicago Board of Trade, benchmark urea futures hit $584.5 per ton; in China, the spot price for sulfur reached 4,550 yuan ($659) per ton.

AI generated, for reference only