Dmitry Konyaev, the CEO of Uralchem, spoke at the Russia-Africa session of the 28^th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The event brought together key representatives of government bodies and businesses committed to strengthening cooperation between the two regions.

The discussion focused particularly on enhancing food security in African nations through the development of modern agricultural technologies and increased shipments of mineral fertilisers. In his address, Dmitry Konyaev emphasised that the primary objective for Russian fertiliser producers was not merely to supply its products but to establish a sustainable sales market on the continent. Last year, Africa imported just 10 million tonnes of fertilisers, which is far below Africa’s actual needs.

The key challenges for fertiliser suppliers remain underdeveloped logistics infrastructure, which drives up costs for end-user farmers, and the need to establish reliable financial mechanisms. Uralchem has already begun systemic efforts to address these issues by setting up joint ventures in South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire, securing long-term contracts with local companies, and participating in humanitarian fertiliser delivery programmes.

Dmitry Konyaev, Uralchem CEO:

Uralchem continues to be a stable partner for African nations and is transitioning from fertiliser supplies to collaborative efforts aimed at improving fertiliser distribution and accessibility for farmers. The Group’s strategic goal is to increase its fertiliser exports to Africa to 5 million tonnes by 2030 through the creation of proper market infrastructure. We see this not only as a commercial opportunity but also as a contribution to addressing the global food security issue.