Fertilizer Shipments Stalled by Hormuz Blockade
A UN official urged Iran and the United States to let fertilizer cargo pass through the Strait of Hormuz as prices climb.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Agriculture
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A UN official urged Iran and the United States to allow fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, where an Iranian blockade has choked regional shipping. Fertilizer prices have risen 30 percent since the blockades began.
Why it matters
Before the conflict, a third of the world's fertilizers passed through the strait, so disruptions threaten planting cycles and food supplies far beyond the Gulf. Jorge Moreira da Silva warned that missed planting seasons could leave millions of people facing hunger.
Roughly a third of the world's fertilizers previously moved through the Strait of Hormuz, and prices have risen 30 percent since the blockades began. Five vessels a day are reportedly needed to move fertilizer through the strait, and the UN says its system could start shipments within seven to 10 days.
The players
Jorge Moreira da Silva
Heads the UN task force facilitating safe passage of fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran
Imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after the late February 2026 attack on its territory.
United States
Maintains a blockade of Iranian ports as part of the broader confrontation affecting regional shipping.
The details
Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz began after the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February 2026, and a separate US blockade of Iranian ports has further complicated shipping. Speaking at the COP31 climate talks in Antalya, Turkey, Moreira da Silva said the UN has a system ready to move fertilizer shipments once passage is permitted.
Timeline
Late February 2026: Joint US-Israeli attack on Iran; Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz begins.
November 14, 2026: UN official urges passage of fertilizer shipments at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey.
Market Landscape
Roughly a third of the world's fertilizers previously moved through the Strait of Hormuz, making the chokepoint central to global crop inputs. The current blockade reverses that pattern, pushing prices up 30 percent and leaving farmers in countries such as Nepal unable to afford fertilizer.
Higher fertilizer prices can raise the cost of growing food, which may ultimately reach grocery bills in import-dependent countries. Farmers facing unaffordable inputs may plant less, tightening food supplies in the months ahead.
The takeaway
Fertilizer access is tied to chokepoints far from farms, so disruptions in one shipping lane can quickly affect food security in distant regions. Watching fertilizer price trends offers an early signal of future food cost pressures.
Further reading
Track more on agriculture markets and food supply as shipping disruptions reshape input costs.
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