The Strait of Hormuz is a critical conduit for 25 percent to 35 percent of global fertilizer shipments, with 33–34 percent of seaborne fertilizer trade passing through the waterway. Before hostilities began on February 28, 2026, about 16 million tonnes of fertilizers and 220,000 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizers moved through the strait annually. Gulf states and Iran supply 36 percent to 46 percent of global urea exports, 29 percent to 30 percent of ammonia exports, and nearly half of traded sulfur used in phosphate fertilizers. The ongoing conflict has halted shipping through the strait, disrupting supply chains for essential agricultural inputs.
The blockade has stopped global shipments, severely limiting access to nitrogen-based fertilizers crucial for the upcoming planting season. This disruption is expected to reduce crop yields and increase food production costs due to higher energy and input prices. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva notes that developing nations, including African countries reliant on the route, are disproportionately affected. Gulf states themselves face risks, as they import 70 to 90 percent of their staple food supplies.
The same nations producing most of the world's urea and ammonia are unable to secure their own food supply, exposing a fragile dependency masked by export strength. The halt in fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz directly threatens planting cycles in countries that rely on these imports. African nations, already facing acute food shortages in 2023–2026, now confront deeper supply constraints from a crisis they did not create. Farmers across the continent may reduce planting due to unaffordable inputs, worsening hunger.
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