Business · 14 April 2026
Farmers are paying 60% more for fuel. You'd never know from the price at the pump
Red diesel used on British farms has surged roughly 60% since the war began, dwarfing the 10% rise motorists have seen at petrol stations. The UK imports 60% of its nitrogen fertiliser, much of it routed through the Strait of Hormuz, and a third of the world's fertiliser shipments pass through the same waterway. Average arable farm income in England has dropped to £17,000, the lowest since 2004-05, leaving growers with virtually no room to absorb further costs.
Reported by NFU / The Conversation / House of Commons Library · How we write briefs