India and Sri Lanka Face Looming Food Crisis Amid Iran Conflict and Fertiliser Shortages

Farmers in India and Sri Lanka are bracing for a potential food crisis as the conflict in Iran disrupts global fertiliser supplies. The war has led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for oil and gas supplies from the Gulf states, causing a shortage of natural gas and fertilisers.

In India, farmers like Gurvinder Singh are worried about the impact on their crops. 'If we don't get fertilisers, there will be less yield. That will affect my entire family and the entire region, because we are completely dependent on agriculture.' India is the world's second-largest fertiliser consumer, using over 60 million tonnes annually, with most of its imports coming from Gulf countries.

The World Food Programme has estimated that an extra 45 million people could be pushed into acute food insecurity if the conflict does not end by June. Experts warn that South Asian countries, including India and Sri Lanka, are particularly vulnerable due to their heavy reliance on imported fertilisers and gas.

In Sri Lanka, the situation is dire, with farmers facing massive price increases and warning of a potential food crisis. The Sri Lankan government has attempted to control prices and ration fertiliser, but the chairman of the National Agrarian Unity warns that the fertiliser crisis is even bigger than the fuel crisis and poses a threat to national security.

The conflict has already begun to strain supply chains, with gas supplies to fertiliser factories cut by 30%. Farmers are stocking up on fertiliser in advance, but many small-scale farmers are already operating with heavy losses and are crushed by debt.