A farmer in Shropshire says soaring fertiliser prices caused by the Iran conflict have left many in the farming industry feeling “despondent”.
Rory Lay, who runs an arable, beef and sheep farm near Wem, said his fertiliser bill jumped by £25,000 this year due to disruption in global supply chains linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Lay said his farm spent £77,000 on fertiliser in 2026, compared with £52,000 for the same amount in 2025.
Fertiliser prices have risen by around 50% over the past year as conflict in the region has affected access to natural gas and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The industry is generally despondent,” Lay said.
“Whatever item we buy, everything’s gone up.”
He warned that continued instability in the Middle East has created major uncertainty around fertiliser supplies.
“There has been a lot of disruption within the supply,” he explained.
“Even if I delay buying my fertiliser, hoping the price will come down, then we get to where there might not be enough supply.”
Farms rely heavily on fertiliser to grow cereal crops and grass used to feed livestock including cattle and sheep.
Lay warned that cutting fertiliser use could create “welfare issues” if farmers are unable to grow enough feed for animals.
He also stressed that farmers may not recover the extra costs until at least autumn 2027, leaving many exposed to financial losses if crop prices fall.
“It’s a very long-term game,” he said.
The farmer added that many businesses are now being forced to borrow more money simply to cover rising operating costs.
“Spending that extra £25,000 means that for me, it’s down to borrowing a bit more money,” Lay said.
“So then that costs money to borrow money.”
Lay criticised pressure on supermarkets to keep food prices low, arguing retailers should instead pay farmers more to help absorb rising production costs.
“Really, the food prices need to go up to help us afford to grow the crops and the stock for people to eat,” he said.
“Supermarkets could easily take a couple of pence off bread, add two pence on to toilet paper, and their profits would see no difference at all.”
“They are the ones who set the price, and we just have to try and make our businesses struggle along.”
Farmers across the UK are increasingly warning that rising fuel, fertiliser and feed costs linked to global conflicts are putting significant pressure on British food production and rural businesses.