In western Bangladesh, farmers are facing severe difficulties securing diesel fuel critical for irrigation amid a global energy crisis linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East. Dulal Hossain, a smallholder rice farmer in Rajshahi, endured scorching heat and long waits in chaotic lines at local gas stations to obtain the limited diesel available. The fuel powers his irrigation pump, essential for watering his crops during the dry season, but the ongoing shortage has left many farmers like him unable to maintain their fields.
The scarcity traces back in part to disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following recent hostilities between the United States and Iran. The strait is a vital transit route for global energy supplies, and its closure has triggered widespread increases in energy and fuel prices. These shocks threaten agricultural productivity in multiple regions, with diesel shortages particularly acute in South Asia, parts of Africa, and Southeast Asia, where irrigation pumping relies heavily on diesel engines.
Experts warn that the rising cost and limited availability of diesel could dissuade farmers from planting future crops, heightening food insecurity. “If this diesel crisis continues, farmers might not be interested in continuing to invest,” said Zakir Hossain Khan, an economist and co-founder of the research organization Change Initiative. The diesel shortage compounds existing vulnerabilities in rural communities, where many households are forced to borrow money to cover cultivation costs, risking debt cycles and diminished future yields.
Globally, about one-quarter of croplands are irrigated, accounting for roughly 40% of food production. While more sustainable irrigation systems powered by electricity or solar energy exist, many developing countries still depend predominantly on diesel pumps. A recent study highlighted that, in countries such as Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, diesel fuels nearly all irrigation pumps. In Bangladesh alone, 83% of such pumps use diesel.
Economists emphasize the need to transition to more resilient and environmentally friendly irrigation technologies but acknowledge the immediate reliance on diesel remains “the lifeblood” of agricultural production. Sattar Mandal, a former vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University, noted that sudden disruptions to diesel supply could jeopardize national food security.
The consequences of the diesel shortage are not limited to Bangladesh. Areas such as Somalia and Sudan face acute food shortages and famine exacerbated by higher costs of food and fertilizer, themselves disrupted by trade interruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. These crises overlay existing strains on the international relief system.
For many small farmers cultivating less than three acres—who produce a significant portion of staple crops like rice—even small increases in fuel costs threaten livelihoods. “Our whole life has changed,” said Nazrul Islam, a farmer in Rajshahi. “I don’t know these countries that are fighting. They are far away from me. Why am I awake all night with worry? Nothing is under my control.”
As geopolitical tensions persist and energy markets remain volatile, the agricultural sector faces ongoing challenges that could have lasting impacts on food production and rural economies worldwide.