(MENAFN) Russian fertilizer producer Uralchem has donated 30,000 metric tons of potash to Bangladesh as part of a humanitarian initiative, reports indicate. The shipment was facilitated through the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).

Uralchem CEO Dmitry Konyaev emphasized the importance of mineral fertilizers in enhancing crop productivity and maintaining food security. “Unfortunately, Bangladesh — one of the most densely populated countries in the world — faces a range of challenges that undermine its food system, from climate extremes linked to global climate change to constraints on the expansion of arable land,” he said, adding that the company hopes this “humanitarian consignment” will help support the sustainable development of the country’s agricultural sector.

This delivery represents Uralchem’s seventh humanitarian shipment to developing nations since 2022, totaling over 220,000 tons of fertilizers provided free of charge to countries facing acute food shortages.

Most of these shipments were transported on WFP-chartered vessels from EU ports and warehouses to nations including Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and now Bangladesh. The fertilizers sent to Dhaka were previously stored in Latvia, the company noted.

Russian officials have previously highlighted that more than 400,000 metric tons of Russian fertilizers have remained stranded in European ports, including Latvia and Estonia, since 2022 due to sanctions imposed by Western nations.

The shipment was made under the framework of the Russia-UN agreement aimed at normalizing agricultural exports, signed in Istanbul in July 2022 under the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The deal collapsed in 2023 after Russia accused Western countries of failing to fulfill their commitments, particularly concerning Russian fertilizer and food exports.

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