South African wheat farmers are facing mounting financial pressure as the conflict involving Iran disrupts global fuel and fertilizer markets. With diesel and fertilizer prices surging, producers warn that shrinking profits could push some farms to the brink.
On the wheat fields of the Swartland region near Cape Town, farmers are grappling with a sharp increase in production costs linked to turmoil in the Middle East.
The conflict has disrupted global energy and fertilizer supply chains, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route that handles around one-fifth of global oil shipments and nearly a third of international fertilizer trade.
As fuel prices climb and fertilizer becomes more expensive, many farmers say their businesses are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
“We’ve seen a doubling up in diesel prices. Fertilizer prices have nearly doubled,” said wheat farmer Koos Blanckenberg. “It is impossible to make any money. It’s impossible to have a profit.”
