BRASÍLIA, Brazil (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday promised his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro that Russia “is committed” to maintaining its delivery of much-needed fertilizers to the South American agricultural giant.
Speaking in Brasilia, Bolsonaro said the two leaders had discussed by telephone “food security” and “energy insecurity,” without giving more details.
In its own statement on the conversation, the Kremlin said Putin “stressed that Russia is committed to carry out its obligations to guarantee the uninterrupted delivery of Russian fertilizers to Brazilian farmers.”
The statement added that Putin asked for “the restoration of the architecture of free commerce of food products and fertilizers that have collapsed due to Western sanctions” against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
A global agricultural power, Brazil imports more than 80 percent of its fertilizers — a figure that rises to 96 percent in the case of potassium — according to the agriculture ministry.
More than 20 percent of those fertilizer imports come from Russia.
But the Western sanctions imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, which began in February, sparked fears in Brazil that its supply of fertilizers could be affected.
Bolsonaro’s government also announced the start of negotiations with alternative suppliers, mainly Canada, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco, while adding that domestic production would be increased.
© Agence France-Presse