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View all search resultsFarmers association warns of prolonged fertilizer crunch
Indonesian farmers face rising production costs and tighter chemical fertilizer supplies as the US-Israeli war on Iran intensifies, the Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI) has said.
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A farmer spreads dry fertilizer on a paddy field on March 1, 2024, in Sawit, Boyolali, Central Java. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
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ndonesian farmers face rising production costs and tighter chemical fertilizer supplies as the United States-Israeli war on Iran intensifies, the Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI) has said.
Kusnan, head of agroecology assessment and application at the SPI, explained that nitrogen-based fertilizers like urea rely heavily on natural gas, making them extremely vulnerable to the current global energy price spike.
The impact was already "deeply felt" by SPI members across the archipelago, Kusnan said, despite the government's claim of secure domestic stocks.
“Farmers have faced uncertainty since earlier this year. The main concern is not only high prices but also the accessibility of subsidized fertilizers when the planting season arrives,” he told The Jakarta Post on March 30, warning of pressure on farmers' costs and food price stability.
In response, many farmers are shifting to organic alternatives.
“This is no longer a choice but a survival strategy to reduce dependence on the volatile global chemicals market,” he added.
The Mideast crisis has severely constrained traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital export route particularly for nitrogen-based fertilizers, pushing up prices by 70 percent in some markets.
