Русский
Russia’s Uralchem Group has delivered a humanitarian shipment of 55,000 tonnes of fertiliser to Sri Lanka. The shipment arrived in Colombo on December 12, and has been handed to the Sri Lankan government for distribution to its agricultural sector. The country has faced agricultural shortages since a previous administration inexplicitly banned the importation of fertilizer to the country.
The shipment is part of a Russian initiative to support developing nations, mainly in the Global South, amid food shortages and global supply chain disruptions that are most affecting poorer nations. A total of 262,000 metric tons of Russian fertilizers was frozen in 2022 at European Union ports in Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, and the Netherlands as a result of EU sanctions. In response, Russia offered the commodity free of charge to nations in Africa and South Asia. It has taken the EU two years to free up the shipments.
This latest delivery of fertilizers is Uralchem’s sixth humanitarian shipment. The company has donated around 190,000 tons of fertilizers to developing countries, and also paid for the shipping and delivery costs. In partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), over 166,000 tons of essential fertilizers have been shipped from European ports to Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and now Sri Lanka.
According to Uralchem, inspections have confirmed that the fertilizers remained in good condition despite their extended storage time in EU ports, and they remain suitable for improving crop farming in Sri Lanka. Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, began his diplomatic career in Sri Lanka and is fluent in Singalese.
Dmitry Konyaev, CEO of Uralchem, said: “Mineral fertilizers play a key role in ensuring healthy plant growth and increasing crop yields, which, in turn, is the key to food security. Uralchem Group is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of mineral fertilizers. We strongly believe that everyone should have access to food, and we are pleased to support Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector and contribute to the well-being of its people”.
Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Minister, Lal Kantha noted the significance of the donation in aiding the country’s farmers during a critical time. Over 30,000 metric tons will be allocated to paddy farmers, while the remainder will be distributed to coconut cultivators.
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