A total of 262,000 tons of Russian fertilizers had been blocked in 2022 at ports in Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Moscow then offered to give the commodity free of charge to nations in need, including many in Africa.
A shipment of Russian humanitarian fertilizer has departed Latvian waters to commence its trip to Sri Lanka, producer Uralchem announced on Friday. The vessel, MV Asian Majesty, has been anchored in the Bay of Riga with 55,000 tons of potash on board since early 2022, due to Ukraine-related Western sanctions.
Since late 2022, Uralchem Group – one of the largest fertilizer producers in Russia and the world – has donated around 190,000 tons of fertilizers to developing nations while also handling the sea freight and other delivery costs. The company said that in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), over 166,000 tons of vital fertilizers have been shipped from European ports — to Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and now Sri Lanka.