'Hanging by a thread': Fertilizer shortage in India deepens due to ongoing Iran war

NPR | By Diaa Hadid

Published April 14, 2026 at 4:42 AM EDT

With shipments through the Strait of Hormuz stalled after the Iran war began, fertilizer shortages are deepening across India.

NPR News

Diaa Hadid

Diaa Hadid chiefly covers Pakistan and Afghanistan for NPR News. She is based in NPR's bureau in Islamabad. There, Hadid and her team were awarded a Murrow in 2019 for hard news for their story on why abortion rates in Pakistan are among the highest in the world.

See stories by Diaa Hadid

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

Interviews

Today's Interview- Congressman Thomas Massie pt. 1

Bill Goodman

Part 1 of an extensive interview with Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie and his fight regarding the Epstein Files.
NPR News

Eric Swalwell will resign from Congress. And, Trump feuds with Pope Leo over Iran War

Brittney Melton

Eric Swalwell is resigning from Congress after multiple women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. And, Trump is feuding with Pope Leo, calling him weak on crime for opposing the war.
NPR News

Israel and Lebanon set to meet for first direct talks in more than 30 years

Kat Lonsdorf, Daniel Estrin

An official briefed on Israel's strategy for the talks described Tuesday's meeting as "preparatory" and aimed at laying out a framework for future negotiations.
U.S. and Iran block oil exports as rest of the world takes economic hit

Greg Myre, Michel Martin

In the U.S.-Iran showdown in the Gulf, the question is: Who can hold out longer? Both countries are now blocking oil exports through the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., discusses the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports

A Martínez

NPR's A Martinez asks Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, about the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.