Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a UN rural development agency, stated that the impact of disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has begun to emerge, threatening crop yields and driving up food prices. Lario noted that obstructed fertilizer shipments, rising fuel and transport costs, coupled with the El Niño phenomenon and disruptions to Black Sea wheat supplies, are increasing costs across the entire food supply chain. He added that existing fertilizer and fuel stocks initially buffered the shock, but long-term uncertainty has led to more cautious planting, reduced fertilizer use, and high fuel costs also affecting mechanized harvesting.