Russia transferred 20,000 tons of mineral fertilizers to Niger free of charge last Tuesday, according to the Russian Ambassador to Niger Viktor Voropaev. The announcement was made on April 30.
Voropaev stated that the handover ceremony took place on April 28 at Niger’s Ministry of Agriculture site, where the fertilizer was accepted by Minister of Agriculture Mahaman Usman. “This is Russian humanitarian aid,” the ambassador said.
The ambassador recalled that Russia had previously delivered 20,000 tons of wheat to Niger in December of last year. Earlier this year, over 350 tons of sunflower oil were also transferred through the United Nations World Food Programme.
The phrase “You can’t sow, you can’t reap: rising fertilizer prices may affect crops” underscores growing concerns among farmers who are urging the Ministry of Agriculture to reverse export duties and implement quotas for the domestic market.
Preliminary estimates indicate that Russia exported 9.6 million tons of mineral fertilizers valued at $3.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 16% increase in value terms compared to the same period in 2025. Brazil ($340 million, 14%) and India ($338 million, 27%) remain Russia’s largest importers, with Ethiopia (via Djibouti) ranking third at $186 million — a figure 2.7 times higher than the previous quarter.
