Chronicle Editor
A ship carrying 23 000 metric tons of Russian fertilisers donated to Zimbabwe has docked in Beira, Mozambique, port officials said on Tuesday.
The shipment was donated by one of the largest fertiliser producers in Russia and the world, Uralchem Group, and is part of many similar consignments given to several African countries free of charge.
The bulk potash and NPKS fertiliser was loaded onto the ship in the ports of Riga, Latvia, and Ghent, Belgium, the press service of Uralchem said.
From Beira, the fertilisers will be transported to Zimbabwe by land.
The consignment would provide relief to farmers at a time when the Government has liberalised fertiliser imports as local manufacturers were struggling to meet demand due to increased agricultural productivity.
Russia and Zimbabwe enjoy excellent bilateral and trade relations dating back to the pre-independence era.
According to the company, the delivery is being “carried out in close co-operation with the UN World Food Programme, which has chartered a ship to transport the lot as part of the efforts of the UN Conference on Trade and Development.”
The Uralchem covered the sea freight and other delivery costs, as it has done with previous joint shipments.
The group has sent over 134,000 tonnes of fertilizers to Africa free of charge. In collaboration with the WFP, over 111,000 tonnes of this amount have been shipped from European ports and warehouses to Malawi, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
On December 28, the press service of Uralchem Group reported that more than 34,000 tonnes of potash had been loaded onto a ship at the port of Ventspils, in Latvia. It is currently on its way to Nigeria.
UFCL company once exhibited some of its products at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo.
The company manufactures compound and blended fertilisers and supplies its products to farmers and commercial growers across Africa.
It is a subsidiary of Uralchem Group, a Russian manufacturer of a wide range of chemical products, including mineral fertilisers and ammoniac saltpetre.
According to the company, it is one of the largest producers of ammonium nitrate as well as the second largest producer of ammonia and nitrogen fertilisers in Russia. UFCL is also a representative company of Uralkali, a Russian potash fertiliser producer and exporter. It is traded on the Moscow Exchange. —RT-New Ziana/Chronicle
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter