On 3 August, shipping data recorded only six vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Three were bulk carriers.

The number may change tomorrow. The vulnerability will not.

More than 70% of the foodstuffs imported by GCC countries normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Many livestock businesses analyse milk yield, daily weight gain, feed conversion and veterinary costs with great precision, yet continue to accept one of their largest financial dependencies as unavoidable: purchasing almost everything their animals consume from external suppliers.

Answering this question requires looking beyond the price per kilogram of alfalfa, hay or concentrate. Behind every litre of milk produced in the region, there is a cost structure shaped by raw materials, transport, storage, water availability, forage quality, supplier stability and the farm’s real ability to control its own feeding strategy.

In many livestock regions, feed is no longer just another operating expense recorded on a balance sheet; it has become a strategic factor that directly influences the stability and profitability of the entire livestock operation.