Russia is becoming a net exporter of food

Rosja staje się eksporterem netto żywności

Basic self-sufficiency

Ten years after the annexation of Crimea and the imposition of a food embargo on many Western countries, Russia continues to positively assess its agricultural economy. Today, we are not only self-sufficient in basic food, but also have one of the most competitive, flexible and technologically advanced markets in the world, said Russian Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut. The empty market niches created by the embargo were quickly filled by local companies, and consumers did not notice any changes, the minister said.

Agricultural production increased by one third

According to the minister's information, which cannot be independently verified due to Russia's international isolation, in 2014-2023 the country's agricultural production increased by a third, and in the food sector by 43 percent. At the same time, Russia has secured a leading position in the global market in many key areas of food markets. The country is a world leader in the supply of wheat, peas, barley, oilseeds and frozen fish, as well as sunflower oil and a number of other products, the minister said.

However, Moscow has also had to bear significant costs in achieving this. According to the minister, the funds allocated to the state agricultural development program have more than doubled since the introduction of the embargo, from the equivalent of €2.11 billion per year to €4.72 billion currently.

The level of self-sufficiency has increased

Lut noted that in many product areas of the Russian food sector, full self-sufficiency has been achieved. While in 2013 two and a half times more food was imported than exported, since 2020 Russia has been a net exporter and this trend is growing. In 2013-2023, the annual value of Russian agricultural exports increased from EUR 15.7 billion to EUR 39.8 billion. Last year, agricultural exports exceeded imports by 24 percent.