The U.K.’s National Farmers’ Union has warned that food prices in the U.K. are likely to go up as a result of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, reports BBC News.
Iran’s continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has caused costs for fuel and fertilizer to spike, in turn making food production more expensive in the world’s sixth largest economy.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw told the BBC that the price of cucumbers and tomatoes could rise over the next six weeks, with the cost of other crops and milk increasing in the next three to six months, warning that the effect of the conflict on food production “will turn the world supply upside down, and it will have a dramatic impact.”
While some of the extra costs might be absorbed by farmers and businesses within the food supply chain, “some costs will inevitably be passed on to the consumer.”
Produce grown in glasshouses heated with natural gas, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, are likely to be quickly impacted by rising energy prices. And, in terms of fertilizer cots, livestock and dairy farmers could also soon feel the pinch, as they generally buy fertilizer as and when it is needed. On the other hand, farmers growing arable crops such as wheat and barley could be better protected from the prices rises for a while, as they generally buy fertilizer in advance.
The BBC said there are also fears about the rising price of red diesel, a fuel used in machinery and vehicles associated with farming.