The New York Times on Oct. 15 carried a major article on “How a Fertilizer Shortage Is Spreading Desperate Hunger” outlining how the lack of potassium, supplied primarily by potash, is leading to a major crisis for farming in Africa, as well as the increased danger of famine there. Not only have the sanctions against Russia and Belarus disrupted some of the critical African supply chains for wheat and potash for fertilizer, but also their inability to bring these to market has created to hefty increases in their prices. The price of potash, for instance, has risen fivefold since 2020, making it impossible for most farmers in Africa to purchase the fertilizer.
The New York Times was not, however, the first to indicate the problem. Already in July, the Belarus Permanent Representative to the United Nations Valentin Ryabkov pointed out, in a report, that the potash fertilizer exports from Belarus decreased from 9.1 million tons in December 2021, to 3.9 million tons in December 2022. His report noted that potash prices were $562 per ton in December of 2022, compared to $221 per ton in January of 2022.
