Fertiliser costs could prolong global food tensions - FAO

FILE PHOTO: A local farm worker unloads Ukrainian-made fertiliser from a truck to use on a wheat field near the village of Yakovlivka after it was hit by an aerial bombardment outside Kharkiv, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, April 5, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

PARIS (Reuters) - Spiralling costs for farm inputs like fertiliser could deter growers from expanding production and worsen food security in poorer countries facing record import bills, the United Nations' food agency said on Thursday.

An index of input costs for farmers was running at a record high and had climbed more steeply than food prices in the past year, suggesting low prices in real terms for many farmers, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report.