Russian grain on the way to Africa

Russian shipments of donated grain are due to begin landing in Africa within days, giving fresh impetus to its bid to bolster its influence in the continent. President Vladimir Putin promised to send free grain to six African countries that have strong ties with Moscow at a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg in July. Fin24 reports that the move followed criticism that Russia’s war in Ukraine and its withdrawal from a deal that facilitated the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea were pushing up global food and fertiliser prices. The shipments will total 200 000 tons by year-end, the Russian Agriculture Ministry said. Somalia and Burkina Faso are set to be the first recipients while Zimbabwe, Mali, Eritrea and the CAR are also due to get between 25 000 and 50 000 tons of grain each. That’s a fraction of what they consume. Research presented at a conference in Cape Town on Sunday hosted by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation sought to dispel the notion that Moscow bore primary responsibility for rising food costs.