India's small-scale farmers are facing a growing fertilizer crisis linked to the war in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route for fertilizer imports. Essentials like diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea, needed at the start of the sowing season, are becoming scarce just weeks before the next crop cycle.

 Farmers in northern India say delayed or missing supplies could severely damage their crops, leading to heavy financial losses and threatening their only source of income.

Experts warn the worst impact may still lie ahead. Much of India's fertilizer was previously imported from countries in the Gulf, and alternative suppliers are farther away — raising costs and slowing deliveries. If the conflict continues into the monsoon season, shortages could intensify at the peak of demand.

For small farmers already struggling with unpredictable weather, missing fertilizers could mean failed harvests, mounting debts and an existential threat to their livelihoods.

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