Kerby Anderson

It should be obvious by now that shortages from supply chain disruptions will be affecting Americans and the rest of the world for the near future. Whether the war continues or ends tomorrow, the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz will continue to affect supplies and prices.

At the top of the list is energy. Usually approximately 14 million barrels of oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz every day. That has not happened for months creating the largest oil shock the world has ever experienced. Gas prices nationwide are four dollars and prices in California are now at six dollars. Diesel is even higher, and that affects the cost of transporting everything on land.

Fertilizer is another important commodity that travels through the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately one third of the world’s fertilizer is not making it to farmers who need it. They should be putting a Spring application on their land. If they cannot do so, they might not even plant their crops.

Even if it was available, farmers might not be able to pay the skyrocketing fertilizer prices. According to the American Farm Bureau, seventy percent of U.S. farmers said they could not afford fertilizer. Add to this, the significant drought that have affected farmland this year in the lower 48 states. We may not have so many amber waves of grain or products from our fruited plain.

The CPI inflation rate just hit 3.8 percent year over year. But that is lagging indicator of what consumers spent. The Producer Price Index (PPI) increased by 6 percent. That suggests that the inflation costs will be going up in the future.

Politicians may not want to talk about this, especially in an election year. But a wise and discerning Christian would take note and make appropriate plans.