Accra, Aug. 2, GNA – PhosAgro Group, one of the world’s largest producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, says it is working to double fertilizer exports to Africa in the next three years.
Speaking at the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PhosAgro, Mikhail Rybnikov, said PhosAgro was the largest Russian supplier of fertilizers to Africa, supplying about 33 per cent of Russia’s total fertilizer exports to the continent.
He said the Company supplied eco-efficient products that did not contain concentrations of cadmium or other toxic substances that were hazardous to human health or soils to some 100 countries around the world, including 21 African countries of which South Africa, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique and Tanzania were the leading importers.
Mr Rybnikov, who noted that Africa was one of PhosAgro’s priorities for international development, said the Company over the last five years, had increased deliveries to Africa by around 350 per cent from 117.9 thousand tonnes in 2018 to 540.0 thousand tonnes in 2022.
“Over the past year, PhosAgro has increased its exports to Africa by a quarter, and we expect to double that in the next three years,” he said.
He said one of the factors enabling the Company to expand its export potential to Africa would be the launch of a new plant in Volkhov, located near Baltic ports with a production capacity of a million tonnes, focused on exporting products to friendly countries.
He said by the end of 2023, the Company planned to develop not less than six innovative products as part of the Innagro project in partnership with Innopraktika.
“Safe biological crop protection agents are innovative products that can help African countries make an important leap in addressing food security,” he said.
Mr Rybnikov said PhosAgro was helping train local farmers and had timed the launch of its Pro Agro Lectorium educational platform to coincide with the Russia–Africa Summit.
The platform, he said was an easy-to-use online service designed specifically for African farmers, with educational lectures on sustainable agriculture, the basics of plant nutrition and the correct use of mineral fertilizers.
GNA