For farmers, uncertainty is nothing new. Weather changes, markets move and input costs fluctuate. Yet today’s geopolitical environment has added another layer of risk—one that can travel thousands of kilometres and arrive at the farm gate through the price and availability of fertiliser.
Instability in the Middle East matters because the region occupies a critical position in global energy, fertiliser production and shipping. Natural gas is both a feedstock and an energy source in ammonia production, while ammonia is the foundation of nitrogen fertilisers such as urea. The Gulf is also important to global sulphur and phosphate trade. When production is interrupted or strategic shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea are disrupted, the effects can spread quickly through international supply chains, freight rates and commodity prices.
The World Trade Organization reported severe disruption to urea and phosphate trade following the outbreak of conflict in the Persian Gulf in 2026. Urea prices more than doubled at one stage before easing, demonstrating how quickly a supply shock can reshape the market. Even when South Africa does not purchase every product directly from an affected country, it still competes in the same global market.
That exposure is significant. South Africa imports about 80% of its annual fertiliser requirements. International product prices, the rand–dollar exchange rate, ocean freight, port capacity and inland transport therefore all influence what producers ultimately pay—and when product reaches them. In this environment, fertiliser security is not simply about having stock. It is about anticipating risk, planning procurement and placing the right nutrition within reach of the farmer at the right time.
This is where experience counts.
The Kynoch brand is more than 100 years old and has been involved in the fertiliser industry since 1919, when it established South Africa’s first fertiliser plant at Umbogintwini. That heritage is more than a date on a timeline. It represents generations of adapting to changing farming systems, markets and production challenges.
Today, Kynoch is a leading importer, blender and retailer of granular, liquid and speciality fertilisers in Southern Africa. Its network includes warehouses, import and blending facilities at major regional ports, inland locations, and a broad sales and agronomic technical support team. This established capability supports forward planning and helps turn a global supply chain into practical, local service.
Reliability also extends beyond logistics. Every farm, soil and crop presents different demands. Through regional representation, technical expertise and crop-focused plant nutrition programmes, Kynoch works with producers to make informed decisions and use fertiliser as efficiently as possible. In volatile conditions, that combination of supply planning and sound agronomy becomes increasingly valuable.
Kynoch continues to expand its footprint across the Western and Eastern Cape, bringing products, expertise and support closer to coastal producers. Farmers are invited to meet the Kynoch team at NAMPO Cape at Bredasdorp Park from 9 to 12 September 2026—and discover how more than a century of experience is helping agriculture plan confidently for what comes next, with greater certainty, resilience and purpose in mind. 
