The European Union increased imports of fertilizers from Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine. Moscow supplies the EU with a third of purchased urea; exports of all types of fertilizers almost doubled in the first six months of 2023 compared to 2022, the newspaper writes Financial Times.
Fertilizer prices have risen sharply since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. The reason was the limited supply on the market of natural gas, from which nitrogen fertilizers are produced. Russian fertilizers have not yet been included in the sanctions packages of EU countries.
Rising prices have dealt a financial blow to European farmers, the FT writes, while other regions, especially Africa, have stopped using fertilizers altogether. This led to a decrease in yields and a deepening of the global food crisis.
Edition Euroactiv noted in February that European fertilizer producers were also suffering significant losses. In addition, cheaper fertilizers from foreign markets, including Russia, are produced with half the carbon footprint of producers in Europe, the publication noted.