Growing foothold: how Russia donates fertiliser to deepen African alliances

Smallholders, subsistence farmers and villagers pick up bags of fertiliser at the handover ceremony from the Russians in Mkwinda. All photographs by Joshua Surtees Photograph: Joshua Surtees

The Russian national anthem rings out at a farm to the south of Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe. Farmers attending the handover ceremony of 20,000 tonnes of Russian fertiliser rise to their feet, out of respect for their guests. Later, some will collect bags of the desperately needed nitrogen, phosphate and potassium (NPK).

Amid global fertiliser shortages and rising prices since 2020, aggravated by the Russia-Ukraine war, the Russian chemicals company Uralchem-Uralkali last year agreed to donate 260,000 tonnes of fertiliser to African countries most at risk of food insecurity.