Russia’s Uralchem Group Announces Free Fertilizer Deliveries to Zimbabwe and Nigeria
In a benevolent move under Russia’s Moscow-sponsored humanitarian initiative, Uralchem-Uralkali, the Russian chemical producer, is extending its generosity to Zimbabwe and Nigeria as the next recipients of their free fertilizer shipments, following previous deliveries to Malawi and Kenya on the African continent.
During the Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St. Petersburg, the managing director of Uralchem Group revealed their plan to provide humanitarian fertilizer deliveries to Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Dmitry Konyaev, CEO of Uralchem Group, explained, “We have chosen to supply nearly 300,000 tons of fertilizer to African nations, which have been held up in European Union ports. We have successfully dispatched three batches, with the most recent reaching Kenya. The subsequent shipments will head to Zimbabwe and Nigeria.”
On November 12, an agreement was reached to transport fertilizer consignments that had been stalled in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Estonia to Africa. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) chartered a vessel to transport the cargo to the Mozambican port of Beira, from where it was distributed overland to Malawi.
Kenya became the second African country to benefit from Uralchem-Uralkali’s altruistic fertilizer offerings.
In total, the Russian fertilizer producer intends to deliver 300,000 tons of their products to countries in need on a humanitarian basis as part of an initiative aimed at addressing an unprecedented global food crisis.
Notably, Uralchem, a leading supplier of Russian mineral fertilizers to Africa, conducted a session during the Second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St. Petersburg on July 27-28, attended by Russian and African heads of state and senior officials.
The session’s objective was to address the primary challenges obstructing agricultural development in African nations.
Dmitry Konyaev highlighted the vast agricultural potential in Africa, stating, “Africa holds significant promise in terms of agricultural development and increased fertilizer consumption. Currently, Sub-Saharan African countries use approximately 20 kg of fertilizers per hectare, but this figure could potentially rise to 100-150 kg in the foreseeable future, offering a profound solution to food scarcity issues on the continent.”
Since 2018, Uralchem Group and its sister company, Uralkali, the world’s largest potash fertilizer producer, collectively known as Uralchem-Uralkali, have supplied 2.5 million tons of fertilizers to Africa, with a predominant focus on potash. They currently provide 80% of all potash fertilizers utilized by African nations.