The effect of increasing tension in Iran and West Asia is now visible on agriculture around the world. Farmers are facing a big crisis due to the supply of nitrogen based urea fertilizer being affected. The situation is such that farmers have now started resorting to alternative methods like human urine, chicken droppings and organic waste to save crops.
About one-third of the urea fertilizer used in the world comes from Gulf countries. But due to ongoing tensions and supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, fertilizer prices have reached a multi-year high. Due to this, the cost of farmers is increasing rapidly.
Demand for chicken droppings increased
Farmer Mills of England, who grows wheat, barley and oats, is now using chicken droppings instead of traditional manure. He told that the demand for waste from poultry farms in his area has suddenly increased a lot.
According to Mills, every farmer is now looking for some alternative. However, he also said that it is not easy to run the entire farming system relying only on organic options.
Organic fertilizer being prepared from human urine
French startup company Toopi Organics is in the news these days. This company is making an organic product from human urine collected from schools and big events, which helps in increasing the growth of plants.
Company official François Gerard said that their sales have increased by about 25 percent since February. He says that due to shortage of conventional fertilizers in the market, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly.
Use of biofertilizer is increasing worldwide
Even in countries like Malaysia, America and Thailand, farmers are now increasingly moving towards biofertilizers and natural fertilizers. Many companies are preparing fertilizer from almond peels, animal waste and microbial technology.
However, experts say that these options cannot completely replace chemical fertilizers. After efforts to adopt completely organic farming in Sri Lanka in 2021, the production of tea and rice had decreased significantly.
Inflation may increase in the future
The United Nations has warned that if the fertilizer crisis continues for a long time, the food crisis in the world may deepen. Due to this, the danger of decreasing crop production and increasing prices of food items has also increased.
Leave a Reply