Hormuz Disruption Is Hitting the World’s Most-Used Fertilizer as Planting Windows Close

A UN official warned on October 14 that fertilizer movements through the Strait of Hormuz need to resume within weeks or parts of Africa and Asia could enter key planting periods without enough supply.

Global agriculture used about 115 million tonnes of nitrogen nutrients in 2024, compared with 44 million tonnes of phosphorus and 38 million tonnes of potassium.

Much of that nitrogen is supplied as urea. Before the current conflict, roughly one-third of globally traded urea passed through Hormuz.

Gulf producers supplied about 30%–35% of world urea and were also major exporters of ammonia and sulphur.

The disruption is now colliding with planting schedules in import-dependent markets. Fertilizer delivered after the main application period can still leave farmers with lower yields even when supply eventually arrives.

Urea Sits at the Center of Global Fertilizer Demand

Major crops use more nitrogen than phosphorus or potassium, making it the largest fertilizer nutrient by consumption.

Urea supplies much of that nitrogen and is traded widely because of its high nutrient content and ease of bulk transport.

China, India, Russia and the United States are major producers. The Gulf has built large ammonia and urea industries around low-cost natural gas, while Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria add production outside the region.

China and India keep much of their output for domestic agriculture. A larger share of internationally available supply comes from Gulf producers, Russia and a smaller group of exporters.

Gulf Urea Has One Narrow Exit to World Markets

Hormuz is the main maritime route linking Gulf fertilizer producers with overseas buyers. Under normal conditions, the strait carries an estimated 20%–30% of internationally traded fertilizer products.

Tanker movements through the route fell by more than 90% during the disruption, cutting sailings from exporters including Qatar and sending buyers to other suppliers.

Freight and insurance costs have risen as importers seek additional tonnes from Russia, China, North Africa and Nigeria.

The strait also carries large volumes of ammonia, while Gulf producers account for roughly half of global sulphur exports.

Disruption at Hormuz can therefore reach fertilizer plants outside the region before the finished product enters trade.

The Shortage Begins When Fertilizer Misses the Crop

Nitrogen has to be applied at specific stages of crop growth, leaving little room for long delays in supply.

Once the main planting or top-dressing period passes, later deliveries cannot fully recover the lost yield potential. Fertilizer can still reach the market and arrive too late to protect the harvest.

That risk is greater in import-dependent parts of Africa and Asia, where replacement supply has to be secured and moved inland before the application window closes.

The shortage becomes more damaging when timing, not total annual supply, determines whether farmers can use the fertilizer at all.

Nitrogen Security Is Becoming a National Supply Issue

Import-dependent governments are moving fertilizer procurement earlier in the season as supply risk becomes harder to manage through emergency purchases.

FAO has called for alternative logistics routes, open trade in agricultural inputs and more investment in fertilizer production and energy systems.

Countries with gas and industrial capacity may add ammonia and urea production, while others will depend more heavily on long-term contracts and larger inventories.

The 2021–2022 shock showed how quickly high energy costs can reduce fertilizer use. The current disruption has exposed a different weakness: production can remain intact while supply still fails to reach farms on time.

Fertilizer is becoming part of national trade and industrial planning. The next shock will be easier to absorb in markets that secure supply before planting begins.