Russia targets record three million tonnes in fertiliser exports to Africa

RUSSIA is targeting record mineral fertiliser exports of three million tonnes to Africa this year as it seeks to deepen agricultural cooperation with the continent through increased supplies, local packaging and processing facilities, technology transfer and skills development.

Andrey Guryev, president of the Russian Fertiliser Producers Association and head of the Russian chapter of the BRICS Business Council, said Russian fertiliser shipments to Africa had increased 2,5-fold over the past decade, rising from one million tonnes in 2015 to a record 2,5 million tonnes last year.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa Forum, Guryev said supplies increased by a further 15 percent in the first half of 2026, with Russia aiming to reach three million tonnes by the end of the year.

He said African countries represented one of the most promising markets for Russian fertiliser producers, with one in every three tonnes of fertilisers imported by African countries produced in Russia.

Guryev outlined three priority areas for expanding cooperation: extending the geographical reach of Russian fertilisers, establishing filling and packaging facilities on the continent, and strengthening scientific and technological collaboration.

Russian fertilisers are currently available in 25 African countries, but Guryev said Moscow was willing to explore mutually beneficial partnerships with companies in another 30 countries.

He said establishing fertiliser filling and packaging facilities in Africa would create opportunities for local industrial development and employment, while cooperation in mineral resource extraction and processing could help African producers strengthen their technical capabilities.

Guryev also emphasised the importance of developing skilled professionals in African agricultural sectors, saying training would enable local farmers to make better use of modern agricultural technologies, including plant nutrition systems.

He said closer agricultural cooperation would build on longstanding relations between Russia and African countries while supporting efforts to secure food supplies for future generations.

The broader expansion of Russian fertiliser exports comes as major producers increase their presence in African markets, with PhosAgro reporting significant growth in supplies and expanding programmes focused on soil health, agricultural education and sustainable farming.

Sergey Pronin, First Deputy Chief Executive Officer of PJSC PhosAgro, said the company had supplied more than 1,3 million tonnes of mineral fertilisers to African countries during the first nine months of 2026, representing a 50 percent increase year-on-year.

The company expects to double its African supplies by the end of this year compared with 2025.

PhosAgro increased its mineral fertiliser supplies to Africa by a third last year, with total exports to the continent doubling from 2021 levels to nearly one million tonnes. South Africa, Ethiopia and Mozambique were among its three largest African importers of agricultural chemical products.

According to expert estimates cited by the company, PhosAgro accounted for 61 percent of Russia’s total mineral fertiliser exports to Africa in the first half of 2026, making it the country’s largest supplier to the continent.

Pronin said PhosAgro’s products represented about a quarter of Africa’s total fertiliser imports, placing the company in a significant position to support food security and food sovereignty.

He said the company was adapting its product portfolio to the specific agricultural requirements of African regions, including through zinc-containing fertilisers intended to address micronutrient deficiencies in soils and improve plant resilience to diseases and pests.

Another product, ApaSil, launched in 2023, helps plants withstand temperature fluctuations and water stress, supporting crop yields across different climatic conditions.

Beyond supplying agricultural inputs, PhosAgro is working with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation to train farmers in improving agricultural productivity and protecting soils from degradation.

Through the Global Soil Doctors programme, farmers in 22 African countries have received more than 12 000 soil-testing kits to assess soil conditions and identify the nutrients needed to improve yields.

PhosAgro was also an official partner in the establishment of the African Soil Laboratory Network, which has about 240 laboratories across 54 countries assessing fertiliser quality and safety while monitoring soil conditions.

The company also supports sustainable agriculture research through its Green Chemistry for Life programme, implemented in partnership with UNESCO and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. More than a quarter of the grants awarded under the programme have gone to African scientists, while over 270 young African researchers have participated in PhosAgro–IUPAC Summer Schools on Green Chemistry.

Guryev said the next phase of Russia–Africa cooperation should extend beyond commodity trade to include investment, industrial development and joint production, with BRICS providing a platform for advancing these ambitions.

He said the expansion of BRICS had fundamentally changed Africa’s position within the grouping, pointing to the participation of South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia as full members, alongside

Nigeria and Uganda as partner countries and Algeria’s membership of the New Development Bank.

According to Guryev, the outcome of the New Delhi Forum, attended by a record Russian delegation of more than 300 business executives, was the emergence of an African economic ecosystem within BRICS, bringing together markets, capital and technology.

He said Africa needed to expand local processing, strengthen its industrial base and create employment, adding that BRICS could help Russian businesses move from conventional trade towards joint production with African partners.

China is expected to assume the BRICS chairmanship next year, providing another opportunity to advance economic cooperation between Russia and African countries through the bloc.

Guryev expressed confidence that the next BRICS Summit and Business Forum would provide an opportunity to translate proposals for African cooperation into developed projects.