Key crops, from Brazilian corn to Malaysian durians, are at risk after tight supplies and blistering prices of fertilizer have caused farmers to scrimp on vital crop nutrients, adding to global food security and inflation fears.
Fertilizer costs soared this year amid rising demand and lower supply as record natural gas and coal prices triggered output cuts in the energy-intensive fertilizer sector. Urea prices have nearly doubled.
With global food prices at their highest in more than a decade, rising fertilizer costs would only add to pressures on food affordability, especially in import-reliant economies, while stretched budgets leave little room for government
Key crops, from Brazilian corn to Malaysian durians, are at risk after tight supplies and blistering prices of fertiliser have caused farmers to scrimp on vital crop nutrients, adding to global.