'Even where fertiliser doesn’t have to pass through Hormuz, it needs natural gas in the manufacturing process, so regardless of how long it takes to open the strait, the already baked-in gas price impact will persist in fertiliser price for some time'. Photo: John KellyA few years ago, I did a diploma in Strategy and Innovation at the Irish Management Institute. One lesson that sticks out was the acronym VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The idea is that all businesses must learn to prepare for the most unanticipated external events that can completely derail any business plan.

Source: Irish Independent March 23, 2026 17:51 UTC