Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced the completion of wheat deliveries to six of Africa's poorest countries, totaling 200,000 tons of humanitarian aid.
"We have finalized the wheat deliveries to the six poorest African countries <...> The total amount of humanitarian aid delivered to the African continent reached 200,000 tons," stated the minister.
These deliveries, conducted in collaboration with the United Grain Company and with support from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Transportation, commenced as early as November 7 last year. Each vessel took approximately 30–40 days to reach its destination, with the final shipment arriving in Somalia at the end of January, and unloading completed by February 17.
The allocated grain quantities included 25,000 tons to Mali, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, and Eritrea, and 50,000 tons to Somalia and the Central African Republic. Patrushev highlighted the significance of this large-scale humanitarian effort, emphasizing that it marked a notable first for Russia.
Patrushev also reported Russia's agricultural export achievements in 2023, with over 66 million tons of grain exported, valued at nearly $16.5 billion, setting an all-time record. Wheat, corn, and barley comprised the majority of these exports.
Despite global price fluctuations, Russia maintained its leading position in wheat trade, serving as the primary supplier to countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, and China. Patrushev noted that agricultural export revenues in 2023 reached $43.5 billion, surpassing the previous year's figure by $1.5 billion.
Furthermore, Patrushev highlighted the diversification of Russia's export product range, which now includes fish, seafood, oil and fat products, meat, dairy, and confectionery items. He emphasized Russia's role as a significant and stabilizing supplier across various commodities on the global market, with exports expanding to more than 150 countries, predominantly to friendly nations.
"Increasingly, our product range is expanding. Fish, seafood, oil and fat products, meat, dairy and confectionery products are now significant items for us." - Patrushev noted. - "Thus, Russia is a major supplier and, in many ways, a stabilizing factor for several commodities on the world market. We are continuing to increase our exports across almost the entire spectrum of products."
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Based on materials from TASS