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  "path": "/2026/05/07/british-households-face-200-extra-food-bill-this-year-due-iran-war-28276855/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-07T16:24:20.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "UK",
    "government",
    "National Farmers’ Union",
    "Iran",
    "News Updates",
    "Breaking News",
    "Middle East",
    "coffee",
    "drinks",
    "Strait of Hormuz",
    "petrol",
    "check our news page",
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  "textContent": "Industry bodies fear rising prices will become ‘baked in’ before it is too late (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nFood and farming experts are calling for the UK government to intervene to tackle rising shop prices before it’s too late.\n\nThe President of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the CEO of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) have urged ministers to save the industry from skyrocketing costs caused by the war in Iran.\n\nRising food prices cost the average household an extra £200 by the end of this year, the FDF predicted in their most recent forecast.\n\nThe industry body wants the government to support businesses at crucial points of the food supply chain with paying their energy bills.\n\nA poll showed that four in five people are worried the Iran war will make food more expensive(Picture: Getty Images)\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nFarming bosses on the other hand are pleading with the Chancellor for the 5p fuel duty increase to be pushed back.\n\nA poll out this week showed that four in five people are worried the Iran war will make food more expensive.\n\nThe blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since the end of February has sent oil and gas prices soaring.\n\nThe closure has also triggered shortages of fertiliser, which has driven costs up for farmers by up to 70%.\n\nPOLL\n\nPoll\n\n### Are you struggling to afford your food bill?\n\n  * YesCheck\n\n  * NoCheck\n\n  * SometimesCheck\n\n\n\n\nA FDF forecast at the beginning of April predicted that food inflation each over 9% by the end of the year – at a cost of £200 per average household.\n\nCEO Karen Betts told **Metro** : ‘If the conflict in the Middle East does not resolve quite soon, there is a risk that prices will go higher than that.\n\n‘Energy is embedded in every part of the food supply chain. If energy costs do go up it does have a significant impact on prices.’\n\nThis has led to an increase in logistics, moving food around, freight, plastics, packaging and cleaning chemicals.\n\nElectricity prices for most businesses are also due to skyrocket when their contracts renew in the next three to six months.\n\nFood and Drink Federation CEO Karen Betts wants the government to pause regulation changes that could heap more costs on businesses (Picture: Karen Betts)\n\nTo stop these costs spiral onto food bills, the FDF is calling on the government to ‘provide some support’ for parts of the food system ‘where energy use is most intensive’.\n\nExamples of the most energy-intensive processes include refining sugar, making bread, roasting coffee and dairy processing.\n\nBetts also wants ministers to delay and review new regulations which, although good ideas, are costly for businesses at just the wrong moment.\n\nThese include a move to align food laws with the EU and plans to restrict which food and drinks products are considered ‘less healthy’ for advertising purposes.\n\nBetts said: ‘We are encouraging the government to act. It worries us that we have been giving hem a lot of ideas since the end of march and we have not had much feedback\n\nThe FDF’s main call is for ministers to intervene before food costs become ‘baked in’ to prices. If that starts to happen, it will be harder for any measures to reduce inflation.\n\nThe problems faced by farmers is just as urgent and could be equally devastating for food prices, NFU president Tom Bradshaw told **Metro**.\n\nHe said they were dealing with ‘an immediate cash flow impact’ caused by rising prices of fertiliser, red diesel and gas.\n\nThe Strait of Hormuz Closure could send fertiliser costs up 70% (Picture: Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images) /\n\nRed diesel, a cheaper fuel used in agricultural vehicles, was 76p per litre last year, but latest figures put it at 104p, meanwhile fertiliser costs could go up 70% since the Strait of Hormuz was blocked.\n\nThe boss said: ‘It is now 69 days since this crisis started and even if there is a resolution immediately that is going to have knock impact well into the future.’\n\nBradshaw urged the Chancellor to reverse plans to increase fuel duty – a tax on fuels like petrol and diesel – by 5p in September.\n\nIt is the result of a temporary 5p cut introduced in 2022, which is now scheduled to be phased out.\n\nThe NFU believe that keeping that cut in place will not only help farmers deal with rising prices but support ‘the whole of society’ with the economic pinch.\n\nAlso in their sights is the Carbon border adjustment mechanism, which is due to come into force in January 2027 and will make manufacturers pay a levy on certain carbon-intensive imports.\n\nBradshaw believes that could increase the cost of crucial fertiliser by £50 to £70 a tonne and wants the government to delay its implementation by 12 months.\n\nSaying he was willing to work with the government on support for the sector, Bradshaw added: ‘It is crucial for farmers to continue producing the county’s food for everybody.’\n\nMetro approached the Treasury for a comment.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "British households face ‘£200 extra food bill this year’ due to Iran war"
}