Russia Celebrates a Decade of Agricultural Growth as Policy Shift Turns Country into Net Exporter

Since 2014, Russia has significantly increased its production and export of a number of food products. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the country is now a net exporter of several items in this category.

Russia’s yoghurt market illustrates this shift. In 2014, Russia imported 0.20 lakh tonnes of yoghurt, while exports peaked at 0.19 lakh tonnes. By 2022, exports had decreased to 0.147 lakh tonnes, but imports also dropped to just 6.34 tonnes, generating a significant trade surplus.

Russia’s meat industry has also seen substantial growth over the past decade. Exports of salted and smoked meat, as well as meat in brine, have increased dramatically. In 2014, imports of these products were 36 times higher than exports. By 2022, the trend was reversed, with exports 160 times higher than imports.

Other products of which Russia is now a net exporter include poultry fat, chicken, duck, turkey, prefabricated poultry products, and pork. In 2022, chicken and turkey exports were four and 17.5 times higher than imports, respectively.

Among plant-based products, the market for peas has seen a major shift. In 2014, Russia imported 22% more peas than it exported. By 2022, exports were three times higher than imports.

Overall, since 2014 there has been a substantial increase in Russia’s agricultural exports, with the total value of these exports growing 2.7 times in the past 10 years.

Source: RIA Novosti