Sakreta Calls on UN to Lift Sanctions Against Fertilizer Producers

Reform.news Editorial Team · 14 October 2026, 21:57

https://reform.news/en/sakreta-calls-on-un-to-lift-sanctions-against-fertilizer-producers/

Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Ihar Sakreta called on states to abandon sanctions against fertilizer producers, including Belarus. He made the statement on October 14 at a meeting of the Second Committee of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry reports.

The speech focused on agricultural development, food security, and nutrition. According to Sakreta, sanctions create an artificial shortage of fertilizers on global markets, drive up prices, and restrict farmers in the poorest countries from accessing essential resources.

“We once again call on states to abandon illegal unilateral measures that undermine efforts to combat hunger,” he said.

Sakreta also described conflicts as one of the main factors behind the global food crisis. According to him, the escalation in the Middle East disrupted energy and fertilizer supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. He said that fertilizer prices had risen by more than $100 per tonne since February 2026, but did not specify which types of fertilizers or markets he was referring to.

The diplomat cited droughts, floods, and soil degradation as additional threats. According to the estimate he provided, around 700 million people worldwide suffer from hunger.

Speaking about Belarus’ agricultural sector, Sakreta said that food exports reached $10 billion in 2025. He also referred to a June visit to Minsk by the Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), saying that the official had highly praised the capabilities of Belarus’ agro-industrial complex.

The deputy minister devoted a separate part of his speech to cooperation with Africa. He linked Zimbabwe’s record wheat harvest last year to supplies of Belarusian machinery and joint efforts to mechanize agriculture. According to Sakreta, this enabled the country to begin exporting food to neighboring states.

The diplomat also said that thousands of pieces of agricultural machinery had been supplied to Nigeria and that a network of service centers was being developed there. New projects are planned in Ghana, Tanzania, and other African countries, he said. In addition to machinery, Belarus offers specialist training, the establishment of joint processing facilities, and the introduction of agricultural technologies.

“Food security is achieved through cooperation, not sanctions,” Sakreta concluded.