Russia’s Agro-Industrial Complex: A New Export Record

The main goods driving export growth included grain crops, oil-and-fat products, fish and seafood, as well as products of the food and processing industries.

Grain crops remain the traditional leader of agricultural exports for the first five months of 2026. According to experts at “Agroexport,” Russia exported 34% more grain in value terms than a year earlier. Supplies of wheat, corn, barley, oats, rice, and other crops increased. The main buyers of Russian grain are countries such as Turkey (which increased imports of Russian grain more than threefold), Egypt, Iran, and Sudan.

A feature of the current agricultural year is the increase in export revenue from sales of oil-and-fat industry products, driven by higher global prices for these products, increased supplies in a number of directions, and a reduction in the export duty on oils. According to “Agroexport,” exports of oil-and-fat industry products increased by 21% compared to last year due to growth in supplies of sunflower, rapeseed, and soybean oils, as well as oilcakes and meals. The main importers of Russian oils were the UAE, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, China, and Turkey.

The increase in export revenue from the sale of fish and seafood (by 27% compared to last year) is обусловлен, first, by high global prices due to limited supply of cod and other types of whitefish caused by reduced catch volumes in key fishing areas. The second growth factor was increased crab shipments to China, primarily due to a sound marketing strategy by Russian companies and the U.S.–China tariff war.

By the end of this year, the situation may change. In particular, the pace of grain export growth may slow down. Global grain stocks remain quite high, which may lead to a decrease in the import potential of Turkey and the countries of North Africa. In addition, experts do not expect a sharp rise in grain prices or a significant weakening of the ruble, which are factors that drive export revenue growth.

Nevertheless, according to preliminary estimates by the Union of Grain Exporters and Producers of Russia, the total volume of grain exports for the 2025/2026 season will exceed 60 million tons.

Author: Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of World Economy and World Finance, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Natalia Vladimirovna Sergeeva.