Russian agricultural holding Rusagro intends to begin grain supplies to Eastern African countries in the nearest future, Mikhail Rakovetsky, head of sales and trading department of the company, told journalists during the Tanzania – Russia Business and Investment Forum that is taking place in Tanzania's largest city and financial hub Dar es Salaam.
"The African continent has enormous potential for the supply of grains and we plan to increase our presence in the countries of East Africa and West Africa. Tanzania is one of the key destinations for us, as grain supplies to this country are growing year by year," Rakovetsky said.
Rakovetsky added that Tanzania’s wheat imports in 2024 are projected to be about 1.3 million tons.
Earlier, the director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's liaison office with Russia, Oleg Kobyakov, told Russian media that free grain supplies from Russia have covered up to 20% of the annual needs of some African countries, but the need for continued support remains. He noted that Moscow cooperates with the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), which provides emergency food aid worldwide.