In West Africa, Russia and Ukraine are the main suppliers of wheat. While the conflict between both countries has raged since last February, Ukraine is playing the card of agricultural diplomacy to gain support in the region.

In Senegal, the Minister of Agriculture, Ali Ndiaye, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Solskyi, signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday, January 9, to improve collaboration between both countries in the sector.

According to the information transmitted by the Ukragro company, this new agreement refers to the development of bilateral trade in agricultural products, cooperation in the field of scientific research and investment, as well as relations between state institutions and private organizations of both countries.

Overall, the initiative is part of Ukraine's strategy to develop joint logistics projects with West African countries to increase shipments of agricultural products and consolidate its trade relations in the region.

«This concerns, in particular, the possibility of storing Ukrainian grain in storage centers at the level of these countries. The construction of such infrastructure will contribute to the availability of food, ensure its quality and stabilize sales prices in local markets,” explains Mr. Solskyi.

It should be remembered that in West Africa, wheat represents around 40% of cereal imports, which amounted to 22 million tons in 2022, according to data from the World Food Program (WFP).

Source:EcomNewsAfrique