Bayer hopes for swift resolution to Russia sunseed shipment delay

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Germany's Bayer said on Wednesday it was continuing to supply agricultural products to Russia and hoped for a swift resolution to what it called a technical delay in the country's sunflower seed imports.

The Izvestia newspaper said on Monday that Western seed producers had suspended sunflower seed shipments to Russia and paused customers' bids for purchases, citing letters sent by Bayer, Swiss agrochemicals group Syngenta and seed firm Nuseed.

"As announced last year, Bayer continues to supply key agricultural products and solutions for farmers in Russia," Bayer said.

"At the moment, there are temporary delays in sunflower seed imports. We are hoping for an early resolution of the technical delay and for the timely import of seeds for the upcoming sowing campaign," the company told Reuters.

Russia's agriculture ministry said it did not see any risks for the 2023 sowing campaign and had already stocked up on what it needed, even if Western suppliers stopped shipments, Izvestia reported.

Russia and Ukraine are the world's largest sunflower oil exporters and sell millions of tonnes annually, much of it to the world's largest importer India.

(Reporting by Olga Popova; Writing by Caleb Davis; Editing by Alexander Marrow and Gareth Jones)