The European Union will release emergency funds to help farmers deal with soaring fertilizer costs caused by the Iran war, under plans to support the sector unveiled Tuesday. Brussels has been under pressure to take action to blunt the impact of the Middle East crisis on agriculture, as the increase in fertilizer prices risks pushing up food costs across the bloc.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “We will support European farmers so they can buy the fertilizers they need for the next harvesting season,” said the EU’s agriculture commissioner, Christophe Hansen. But agriculture lobbying group Copa-Cogeca said the plan was disappointing, and failed to provide “any real response.” About a third of fertilizers shipped by sea reach the global market through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the US-Israeli war against Iran. That has sent prices up, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) has warned that the blockade threatens global food security, particularly in Africa and South Asia. As a first measure, the European Commission said it would disburse what is left in the bloc’s agriculture crisis reserve, around €200 million ($232 million). It will also propose boosting the reserve by a “substantial amount” before the summer, Hansen said, later explaining Brussels was hoping to make another €200 million available. “The commission will provide targeted exceptional support to the most affected farmers,” Hansen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.