
Farmers in the South East have said that the rising cost of fertiliser is having an impact on their plans for what they grow and harvest for the next year.
Fertiliser is any material that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients and is usually shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, but that is only open to a limited number of ships as a consequence with the US and Israel's war with Iran.
A third of the world's key fertiliser chemicals pass through the Strait, and prices have risen steeply since the outbreak of war.
Richard Budd, a director at Stevens Farm in Hawkhurst, Kent, said the impact had seen the cost of fertiliser "double overnight".
Speaking to BBC South East, he said: "Last June, we bought some fertiliser for £350 per tonne, I went into the market today to buy some and it was £630 for the same amount.
"We're fine now as we've fixed our growing costs, but come September, when we go to put the next crop in the ground, we are going into a world of uncertainty if this goes on.
"We'll have to see a dramatic rise in the cost of wheat to make it financially viable for next year."
Last week, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) warned that food prices in the UK were likely to go up as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said the price of cucumbers and tomatoes could rise over the next six weeks, with the cost of other crops and milk increasing in the next three to six months.
Speaking in the House of Commons on 19 March, the Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said: "We are well aware that events in the Middle East are putting pressure on input prices.
"I have talked to the chief executive officer of the Competition and Markets Authority.
"We are taking a close look at what is happening to ensure that there is no market abuse, and will keep a close eye on the situation as it develops."
Budd added: "This doesn't directly impact what we are doing at the moment, but we are dealing with an increase in diesel prises as well.
"When we sit down and plan next year, we will have to assess what we will grow and harvest.
"Things right now are just about ok."
Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Related internet links
NEUESTE BEITRÄGE
- 1
Defeating An inability to embrace success in Scholarly world: Individual Victories25.09.2023 - 2
Mali and Canadian miner Barrick agree to resolve tax dispute, ending 2-year standoff24.11.2025 - 3
From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected16.12.2025 - 4
7 Fun Plans to Make Film Evenings Seriously Energizing (You'll Cherish #5!)31.12.2024 - 5
New movies to watch this weekend: See 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' in theaters, rent 'Bugonia,' stream 'Caught Stealing' on Netflix28.11.2025 - 6
Senegal limits foreign trips for officials as the fallout from Iran war deepens04.04.2026 - 7
From Novice to Master: Dominating a Side interest22.09.2023 - 8
Flourishing in a Cutthroat Work Market: Vocation Methodologies06.06.2024 - 9
Medical team successfully delivers baby and removes massive tumor11.12.2025 - 10
What you need to know about Trump accounts as Michael and Susan Dell donate $6 billion to the new early childhood investment program03.12.2025 - 11
Man triggers smoke bomb during failed crypto robbery25.11.2025 - 12
Kiev declares energy emergency after Russian attacks amid winter cold14.01.2026 - 13
Changes to CDC website spark debate over autism and vaccine misinformation20.11.2025 - 14
Trump signs bill allowing whole milk to return to school lunches14.01.2026 - 15
Hilary Duff releases 'Mature,' her 1st song in 10 years06.11.2025
Ähnliche Artikel
Artemis 2 captures historic 'Earthset' photo | Space photo of the day for April 7, 202607.04.2026
Tesla Germany Registrations Quadruple to 9,252 Vehicles in Best March Ever07.04.2026
What's going on with Katseye? The Manon Bannerman hiatus drama, explained.07.04.2026
Two IDF officers, civilian face indictment in alleged Gaza aid-truck smuggling scheme07.04.2026
West Palm Beach Shorecrest, renderings of downtown waterfront condo07.04.2026
Artemis II astronauts make long-distance call to the space station as they head home from the moon07.04.2026
Tuesday, April 7. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine07.04.2026
The Eastern Bongo, Kenya’s Rare Forest Antelope on the Brink07.04.2026
U.K. blocks Kanye West from entering Britain to headline now canceled festival: What led to the ban07.04.2026
Russia confirms 16 Cameroonian soldiers killed in Ukraine war07.04.2026
First Phosphate advances battery-grade phosphate project as analysts highlight strategic Federal support07.04.2026
After fleeing past Hezbollah fighting, some Israelis on northern border vow to stay07.04.2026
'Unreal' solar eclipse: Artemis 2 crew just saw one of the rarest sights in spaceflight history07.04.2026
Chinese construction workers in Israel: 'I’d rather be bombed than live in poverty'07.04.2026
Broken toilet, T-shirts on windows and collecting saliva: The weirdness of daily life aboard Orion07.04.2026
Czech Republic caps fuel prices amid Iran war energy crisis07.04.2026
NASA releases stunning new images captured by the Artemis II moon mission, including 'Earthset' and a solar eclipse from space07.04.2026
Amid Iran war, 53 of Israel's future scientists showcase projects in Jerusalem contest07.04.2026
Iranian-linked drone attack kills Kurdish couple in northern Iraq07.04.2026
Thousands of small fish defy gravity to climb Congo waterfall07.04.2026































