PhosAgro, one of the world’s leading producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, increased its supply to African countries by 74% in the first half of 2024. This was announced by representatives of the Russian company during a meeting with African journalists.
A group of journalists from various African countries visited PhosAgro’s plant in the city of Volkhov in the Leningrad region, which was launched in March 2024. The new plant’s location near the port of St. Petersburg makes it convenient for exporting fertilizers, including to the African continent.
Russia is the world’s largest exporter of mineral fertilizers, accounting for 18% of the global market. According to the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers, 1.5 billion people worldwide consume food grown with the use of Russian fertilizers, which are free from dangerous concentrations of cadmium or other toxic substances and are safe for agricultural production.
In recent years, Russia has been increasing fertilizer supplies to developing markets that face the challenge of boosting agricultural production to ensure food security. A key focus is Africa, which is the world’s fastest-growing continent by population.
Over the past five years, Russia has more than doubled its fertilizer exports to Africa to 1.7 million tonnes per year, making a significant contribution to ensuring food security on the continent. One-third of these supplies are provided by PhosAgro, according to the company. The company supplies African countries with 58 brands of innovative and environmentally friendly fertilizers, including products with specific micronutrients for local soils.
PhosAgro not only supplies fertilizers to Africa but also helps to improve farmers’ qualifications. During the Russia-Africa summit last year, PhosAgro announced the launch of the Pro Agro Lectorium platform for African agrarians, which offers educational lectures on sustainable farming, plant nutrition basics, and the correct use of mineral fertilizers. During their visit to Russia, African journalists were able to familiarize themselves with the lecturing platform.
As part of a joint project with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), PhosAgro became an official partner in launching the AFRILAB regional soil laboratory network in Africa. This network now includes 220 laboratories in 54 countries, which assess the quality and safety of fertilizers and monitor soil conditions.
In cooperation with FAO, PhosAgro also implements the Soil Doctors global programme. Soil kits provided to African farmers as part of the project enable them to independently assess the condition of their fields and determine the nutrients needed to achieve maximum yields. About 4,500 people from more than 20 African countries have already received training under this programme, which is planned to expand to other countries.
Since 2013, PhosAgro has been participating in a scientific and educational project with UNESCO, Green Chemistry for Life, which is supported by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The project provides grants to young scientists working on the application of advanced chemical technologies in areas such as environmental protection, rational use of natural resources, and waste recycling. Last year, 48 young researchers received grants from this programme, including 13 from African countries such as South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Tunisia, Nigeria, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.