Second U.N.-Facilitated Shipment Of Russian Fertilizer From EU Reaches Africa

VILNIUS, May 29 (Reuters) – A second shipment of Russian-origin fertilizer facilitated by the United Nations’ World Food Programme has arrived in Africa from the European Union, containing 34,000 tonnes of fertiliser, Russia’s Uralchem said on Monday.

The consignment was under Uralchem-Uralkali Group’s name and arrived in Kenya. The company also said in its statement that in March a first shipment of Russian-origin fertilizer from the European Union, of 20,000 tonnes, arrived in Africa, in Malawi.

Uralchem did not say which EU ports either shipment was shipped from.

However, Latvia said last month that it had allowed a shipment of Russian-origin fertiliser to go to Kenya.

The shipment was the first batch released by Latvia of a total of about 200,000 tonnes of Russian-origin fertilizer stored in Riga port since March last year, when it was seized due to European Union sanctions on Russia.

Russia has cited the seizure as a key stumbling block to its continued participation in a Black Sea grains deal that allows Ukraine to export grains.

Most of the fertilizer seized in Latvia is owned by Russian fertilizer producers Uralchem and Uralkali URKAI.MM, according to market sources and data seen by Reuters.

The companies used to be controlled by Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, who gave up control last year after the European Union sanctioned him in March 2022 as “a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin”.

Uralchem said in its statement on Monday that it paid delivery costs of both shipments and is committed to donating a total of about 300,000 tonnes of fertilizer to developing countries.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas; Editing by Susan Fenton)

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