Namibia Would Welcome Fertilizer Donation From Russia As Food Prices Soar - Envoy

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2022) Namibia is faced with a hike in fertilizer prices that are driving up food costs in Africa and would welcome a donation of fertilizers from Russia, its ambassador told Sputnik in an interview.

"Namibia is faced with a challenge of high cost of crop production inputs, including fertilizer. If extended to Namibia, the Russian offer to transport fertilizer for free would go a long way in mitigating this challenge," Clemens Handuukeme Kashuupulwa said.

Food and fertilizer costs spiked when the United States and Europe blocked Russian grain and fertilizer exporters' access to ports, insurance and finance, stopping short of sanctioning Russian exports altogether.

The Namibian envoy said that restrictions on Russian fertilizer exports to Africa had increased the cost of fertilizers in Namibia by more than 50%, "ultimately increasing the cost of production and subsequently high cost of food."

The southern African country can boast vast swathes of fertile farming lands and could cooperate with Russia on grain production, he suggested. A gift of fertilizers would further bolster its national food security and food self-sufficiency, the diplomat said.