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Africa
French grain traders Soufflet, Lecureur and Céréalis race to fill gap in market left by Russian and Ukrainian wheat

Read this article in our running story

“Africa in the Russia-Ukraine war”

Africa, Russia, Ukraine

Africa in the Russia-Ukraine war

Despite taking place thousands of kilometres from Africa, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is having a substantial impact on the continent's economies and governments. Facing hurdles in the supply of grain, fertiliser and fuel, and starved of Russian investment, especially in mining projects, African countries are trying to adapt to the crisis while Moscow and Western countries are lobbying hard to bring them into line with their respective positions. [...]

The halt in Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports has opened a window of opportunity for French grain producers in North and West Africa, who in recent weeks have been able to act as substitute suppliers at short notice. But competition will be heated in the next season, as traders who source supplies in Argentina, Italy and Romania are also lying in wait. [...]

Published on 04.04.2022 at 05:00 GMT Reading time 4 minutes

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Commodity traders

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Agro-Companies
Cargill
Casillo Commodities
Cerealis
Finagrit
General Authority for Supply Commodities
Glencore
Hugo Depoix
Invivo
Jean-François Lépy
Lecureur
OAIC
Office Algerien Interprofessionnel des Cereales
Proparco
Rémi Depoix
Rodolphe Quenardel
Scael
Soufflet
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Viterra
Vladimir Putin

Algeria
Ukraine war and drought force Algiers' hand on French wheat imports

Algeria has been apprehensively following debates in France on an insecticide ban that would have prevented it from importing French wheat, upon which it has become more dependent since the war in Ukraine and the drought at home.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 05.05.2023

A grain ship being loaded in the port of La Rochelle, France.

Sub-saharan Africa
France gives helping hand to Céréalis' growing trade in Africa

Céréalis, the leading French wheat trader south of the Sahara, has been granted a new credit facility by a subsidiary of France's AFD development agency. West and Central African millers, who have turned increasingly to French wheat because of the war in Ukraine, had lobbyied for the measure.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Central Africa 08.02.2023

Senegal
Dakar flour production could grind to a halt over unpaid subsidies

Senegalese millers are threatening to stop flour production if the government does not pay them promised subsidies, which they say amount to €58m. They have already drastically reduced their supplies from grain traders.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 13.09.2022

Egypt, France, India
French wheat traders descend on Egypt

Through an exceptional call for tenders involving 825,000 tonnes of wheat, Cairo has secured its supplies until mid-October. Of the 14 ships ordered by GASC, the authority in charge of purchasing cereals, six are French.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 05.07.2022

France
France discusses its FARM food security plan with major agricultural commodities traders

France recently brought together the largest international traders to support its initiative towards the countries most dependent on agricultural imports. But NGOs fear that the FARM Task Force overlooks longer-term agricultural issues in Africa.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 28.06.2022

Africa, Turkey
Turkish traders play key role in delivering Russian and Ukrainian wheat to Africa

Istanbul traders and food companies are increasingly serving as intermediaries between Russia and the agricultural trading giants, particularly to supply North and East Africa with grain, flour and sunflower oil.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 24.06.2022

Egypt
Egpyt tries to adapt to drop in Russian cereal supplies and Indian embargo

Egypt is having great difficulty importing large quantities of Russian wheat, which represented nearly 60% of its purchases prior to the war in Ukraine. Cairo is now trying to negotiate with New Delhi in the hope of ensuring a partial lifting of the embargo on Indian wheat.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 20.06.2022

Workers collect wheat at the Banha grain silos, in Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt, 25 May 2022.

Nigeria
First Indian wheat shipload sets sail for Nigeria

To supply its noodle factories and mills, Dufil Prima Foods has decided to bring Indian wheat to Lagos, a first in West Africa. But to introduce this product further, major logistical challenges must be overcome.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 09.05.2022

Libya
Whiba Holding's milling companies affected by Ukraine war

The Whiba brothers' holding company previously brought in grain from Ukraine to support its wheat import and processing activities. It even had its own local subsidiary to facilitate these transactions.

Subscribers only Business 04.05.2022

North Africa
How Italy's Casillo became a key player in Tunisia's cereal market

The Casillo family group, the leading supplier of durum wheat to Italian pasta manufacturers, has for several years systematically responded to calls for tenders from the Tunisian cereals office. This has enabled it to bag a swathe of the country's supply contracts since the start of the Ukraine war.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 22.04.2022

The port of Rades, the main entry point for cereals in Tunisia.

Inner circles | Algeria
How OAIC cereals board provides daily bread to Algerians despite Ukraine war and scandals

Algeria's national cereals board, the OAIC, is the focus of major government spending and a key political tool for its bilateral relationship with France. The organisation is tasked with ensuring Algeria is supplied with wheat, despite the current high prices and the sometimes competing demands of millers, bakers and consumers.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 15.04.2022

Africa
France fine-tunes FARM food security plan, as US preps its own initiative

The Elysée is fine-tuning its emergency plan to help countries most dependent on cereal imports, many of which are in Africa. Washington, the West African Monetary and Economic Union, and the World Food Programme are also drawing up plans.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 11.04.2022

French President Emmanuel Macron at the press conference at the end of G7 meeting of 24 March, annoncing the FARM initiative.

Spotlight | Kenya
Ukraine war forces Kenya to find new buyers for 1m kilos of tea meant for Russia

Kenya, faced with the threat of falling prices, had to find new outlets for huge quantities of black tea in record time. The stock, worth about $3.5m, was initially destined for Russia.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 07.04.2022

A tea production site in Githunguri, Kenya.

Egypt
Cut off from Ukrainian wheat, Cairo on hunt for Indian supplies

The Egyptian government, which has until now always avoided sourcing from India, has reached out to New Delhi in a bid to obtain large volumes of grain to compensate for the lack of Russian and Ukrainian suppliers.

Free Commodity traders Diplomacy 05.04.2022

Ivory Coast
Ouattara troubled by Ukrainian war's impact on gas, wheat and oil

Despite Ivory Coast having a minimal dependence on the Russian and Ukrainian economies, the country is increasingly feeling the impact of the war in Ukraine, which has placed President Alassane Ouattara in a delicate position.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 22.03.2022

Africa
PhosAgro, Uralchem, Eurochem: how Russian fertiliser giants cope with sanctions

In light of Western measures against their shareholders, the fertiliser producers PhosAgro, Uralchem and Eurochem will drastically cut their exports to Africa, a market they had turned to with relative success after the loss of their Ukrainian clients in 2014.

Free Commodity traders Business 21.03.2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin (back right) and his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa (back left) with Dmitry Mazepin (front right) of Uralchem, and Perence Shiri (front left), Zimbabwean minister of agriculture, 15 January 2019, Moscow.

Libya
Last Russian and Ukrainian grain ships dock at Misrata

Libya depends heavily on Russian and Ukrainian grain imports, and recently saw its last shipments arrive in Misrata port. The country is urgently looking to source new suppliers.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 14.03.2022

Algeria, France, Sahel
Despite the war in Ukraine, Le Drian expected in Algiers to talk about the Sahel

The head of French diplomacy is planning a trip to Algeria before the end of March to discuss the situation in the Sahel following the withdrawal of French troops from Operation Barkhane.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 09.03.2022

Jean Yves Le Drian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France.

Africa
Ukraine war forcing grain traders to urgently adapt supplies

With grain shipments in the Black Sea becoming impossible, large and small suppliers of both millers and state agencies are having to adapt to meet their requirements. At the same time, prices are exploding, which may be a double-edged sword.

Free Commodity traders Business 04.03.2022

Cameroon
Ukraine-Russia: faced with soaring wheat prices, millers unilaterally raise flour prices

Célestin Tawamba, head of Cameroon's employers' federation and owner of La Pasta, is leading the Cameroonian flour mills' revolt against the government. After failing to obtain tax and customs exemptions, he and his competitors have decided to flout their sector's regulations.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 01.03.2022

North Africa
Potential Ukrainian wheat supply blockage for Algiers and Cairo

The Moscow-Kyiv crisis is leading to a drastic reduction in the volume of grain shipped from Black Sea ports. Fearing a Russian offensive, shipping companies are now refusing to make new commitments to traders. This situation particularly affects Algiers, which has been relying on supplies from this region to compensate for its halt in French purchases, but it is also of consequence to Egypt.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 16.02.2022

Barley grain is mechanically poured into a 40,000 ton ship at a Ukrainian agricultural exporter's shipment terminal in the Black Sea port of Mykolaïv, in Ukraine.

Cameroon
Wheat price hike threatens to spark mill war

In the midst of a wheat price boom, prominent entrepreneur and head of Cameroon employers' federation, Célestin Tawamba, has shut down his La Pasta flour mill in an attempt to obtain a tax break on imported cereals and to try to change the regulated price of flour.

Subscribers only Commodity traders Business 15.02.2022

President of the Groupement inter-patronal du Cameroun Célestin Tawamba.

Algeria
Russian and Argentinian wheat imports soar as France is barred from market

Barely a year after Algeria's new rules on wheat imports were introduced to break the domination of French suppliers, the changes have already had the desired effect: French imports have dwindled to barely nothing while orders from Russia and Argentina have soared.

Subscribers only Business 06.01.2022

Spotlight | Algeria
Cofco and Al Ghurair go after the cereals market

Red alert among the world leading cereals trading groups! The Algerian Interprofessional Office for Cereals (OAIC) is to revise its list of accredited suppliers in the next few months. At stake is a $2 billion market dominated - for the [.

Subscribers only Business 15.02.2018

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Agro-Companies
Cargill
Casillo Commodities
Cerealis
Finagrit
General Authority for Supply Commodities
Glencore
Hugo Depoix
Invivo
Jean-François Lépy
Lecureur
OAIC
Office Algerien Interprofessionnel des Cereales
Proparco
Rémi Depoix
Rodolphe Quenardel
Scael
Soufflet
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
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Africa in the Russia-Ukraine war

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Africa French grain traders Soufflet, Lecureur and Céréalis race to fill gap in market left by Russian and Ukrainian wheat

Africa in the Russia-Ukraine war

This article may be accessed by subscribers and e-wallet holders (USD 12.50)

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create a free account

Set up email notifications for these topics

Algeria Ukraine war and drought force Algiers' hand on French wheat imports

Sub-saharan Africa France gives helping hand to Céréalis' growing trade in Africa

Senegal Dakar flour production could grind to a halt over unpaid subsidies

Egypt, France, India French wheat traders descend on Egypt

France France discusses its FARM food security plan with major agricultural commodities traders

Africa, Turkey Turkish traders play key role in delivering Russian and Ukrainian wheat to Africa

Egypt Egpyt tries to adapt to drop in Russian cereal supplies and Indian embargo

Nigeria First Indian wheat shipload sets sail for Nigeria

Libya Whiba Holding's milling companies affected by Ukraine war

North Africa How Italy's Casillo became a key player in Tunisia's cereal market

Inner circles | Algeria How OAIC cereals board provides daily bread to Algerians despite Ukraine war and scandals

Africa France fine-tunes FARM food security plan, as US preps its own initiative

Spotlight | Kenya Ukraine war forces Kenya to find new buyers for 1m kilos of tea meant for Russia

Egypt Cut off from Ukrainian wheat, Cairo on hunt for Indian supplies

Ivory Coast Ouattara troubled by Ukrainian war's impact on gas, wheat and oil

Africa PhosAgro, Uralchem, Eurochem: how Russian fertiliser giants cope with sanctions

Libya Last Russian and Ukrainian grain ships dock at Misrata

Algeria, France, Sahel Despite the war in Ukraine, Le Drian expected in Algiers to talk about the Sahel

Africa Ukraine war forcing grain traders to urgently adapt supplies

Cameroon Ukraine-Russia: faced with soaring wheat prices, millers unilaterally raise flour prices

North Africa Potential Ukrainian wheat supply blockage for Algiers and Cairo

Cameroon Wheat price hike threatens to spark mill war

Algeria Russian and Argentinian wheat imports soar as France is barred from market

Spotlight | Algeria Cofco and Al Ghurair go after the cereals market

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Egypt
The rise of militia businessman Arjani

DRC
Tshisekedi keeps close eye on Kabila ahead of presidential elections

Africa
French grain traders Soufflet, Lecureur and Céréalis race to fill gap in market left by Russian and Ukrainian wheat

Algeria
Ukraine war and drought force Algiers' hand on French wheat imports

Sub-saharan Africa
France gives helping hand to Céréalis' growing trade in Africa

Senegal
Dakar flour production could grind to a halt over unpaid subsidies

Egypt, France, India
French wheat traders descend on Egypt

France
France discusses its FARM food security plan with major agricultural commodities traders

Africa, Turkey
Turkish traders play key role in delivering Russian and Ukrainian wheat to Africa

Egypt
Egpyt tries to adapt to drop in Russian cereal supplies and Indian embargo

Nigeria
First Indian wheat shipload sets sail for Nigeria

Libya
Whiba Holding's milling companies affected by Ukraine war

North Africa
How Italy's Casillo became a key player in Tunisia's cereal market

Inner circles | Algeria
How OAIC cereals board provides daily bread to Algerians despite Ukraine war and scandals

Africa
France fine-tunes FARM food security plan, as US preps its own initiative

Spotlight | Kenya
Ukraine war forces Kenya to find new buyers for 1m kilos of tea meant for Russia

Egypt
Cut off from Ukrainian wheat, Cairo on hunt for Indian supplies

Ivory Coast
Ouattara troubled by Ukrainian war's impact on gas, wheat and oil

Africa
PhosAgro, Uralchem, Eurochem: how Russian fertiliser giants cope with sanctions

Libya
Last Russian and Ukrainian grain ships dock at Misrata

Algeria, France, Sahel
Despite the war in Ukraine, Le Drian expected in Algiers to talk about the Sahel

Africa
Ukraine war forcing grain traders to urgently adapt supplies

Cameroon
Ukraine-Russia: faced with soaring wheat prices, millers unilaterally raise flour prices

North Africa
Potential Ukrainian wheat supply blockage for Algiers and Cairo

Cameroon
Wheat price hike threatens to spark mill war

Algeria
Russian and Argentinian wheat imports soar as France is barred from market

Spotlight | Algeria
Cofco and Al Ghurair go after the cereals market