The first shipment of 20,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizer destined for Africa, negotiated with the UN after sanctions were imposed because of the war in Ukraine, is being unloaded at the port of Beira in Mozambique.
“We are unloading the MV Greenwich, which is carrying 20,400 tons of fertilizers destined for the Republic of Malawi, said Miguel de Jenga, director of operations at Cornelder Moçambique, the terminal operator.
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The operation began two days ago, after the ship docked. Mozambique serves as a transit country for the cargo, which is vital for agricultural activity in the region.
The lack of fertilizers and agro-industrial products has caused a rise in prices, affecting Africa in particular.
The British-flagged MV Greenwich, which is chartered by the World Food Program (WFP), left New Zealand on November 29.
Russian fertilizer company Uralchem-Uralkali agreed in mid-November to supply, as humanitarian aid, cargoes of fertilizers stranded in warehouses in the Netherlands, Estonia and Belgium as a result of sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the war in Ukraine.
The shipment is the first in a series of deliveries to African countries donated by the Russian firm, which were blocked in European ports.
The donations total 260,000 tonnes and, according to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, will help “alleviate humanitarian needs and avoid a catastrophic loss of crops in the middle of the sowing season in Africa”.
The initiative is part of the agreement that Ukraine and Russia reached in July, with the support of Turkey and the UN, and which also allowed the resumption of exports of Ukrainian cereals through the Black Sea.
Although Western countries’ sanctions against Russia do not affect food and fertilizers, according to Moscow, its exports of this type of product have practically stopped due to restrictions by logistics companies or difficulties in securing shipments.
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The UN has been warning for months about the danger posed by the sharp rise in fertilizer prices since 2019, with a 250% increase making them unaffordable for many farmers in developing countries.
The UN fears that harvests will be reduced in consequence, causing a serious food crisis in Africa.
