Russia promises to help Kenya’s farmers

Russia is feeling generous: During a recent visit to Kenya, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has vowed to help the African country’s agricultural industry by supplying lost of fertilizer at low prices.

The former soviet nation won’t have much difficulty meeting this promise considering it is home to largest supplier of fertilizer, Uralkali.

Kozak says his country will get the product to the east African state directly from the producers, eliminating the costs associated with a middle-man, Business Daily reports. 

Currently, Kenyan farmers use mostly organic fertilizers but the manure is hard to come by because the country does not have enough livestock. Meanwhile, importing the product has been expensive.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta

President Uhuru Kenyatta pushed for a fertilizer deal during his visit to Moscow last week where he spoke to investors at the Russian chamber of commerce and industry.

“Our country has emerged as the regional economic, trading and investment frontier,” Kenyatta said according to Daily Nation. “It would be mutually advantageous to partner with us in establishing a fertiliser plant in Kenya,” he later added.

The African country demands about 500,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer per year and a lack of supply threatens to exacerbate Kenya’s food security and malnutrition problems.

Images from Wikimedia Creative Commons

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