Russia increases wheat shipments to Africa as France loses ground

(MENAFN) Russia has significantly increased its grain exports to Africa during the current agricultural season, making major gains in markets once dominated by European suppliers, particularly France. According to Ilya Ilyushin, head of Russia’s Federal Center Agroexport, shipments to North Africa are up by 10%, reaching nearly 15 million tons since July 2024, while exports to Sub-Saharan Africa have soared by 43% to 6 million tons.

Speaking at the All-Russian Grain Forum, Ilyushin stated that Russia now accounts for 80% of Egypt’s wheat imports, 40% of Morocco’s, and 35% of Algeria’s. Meanwhile, European grain exports have dropped by 30%, largely due to poor harvests.

This surge follows Algeria’s decision in October 2024 to exclude French suppliers from a major wheat tender, awarding over 500,000 tons of contracts primarily to Russian firms. The ban came amid worsening diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France, especially over Paris’ stance on Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara. French officials noted that Algeria appears to be intentionally reducing France’s economic influence in the country, with bilateral trade down by up to 30% since last summer.

FranceAgriMer, the French agricultural trade agency, recently reported that France’s agricultural exports to Africa declined by €100 million in 2024, with wheat exports to Sub-Saharan Africa falling 16%. The total regional export drop was 3.4%. French dairy exports were also hit hard, plummeting 33%, as Polish and Belgian suppliers stepped in to fill the void.

While Côte d'Ivoire slightly increased imports from France, other African nations such as Senegal, South Africa, and Cameroon recorded small declines, according to a May 23 report.

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