Export of Russian flour increased by 3.5 times by the end of the year

From January 1 to December 25, 2022, Russia exported 881,000 tons of wheat and wheat-rye flour, exceeding the figures for the same period in 2021 by 3.5 times, according to message Center “Agroexport” under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. In monetary terms, deliveries increased by 3.9 times.

“Georgia became the largest importer of Russian flour, which, as of December 25, increased purchases 4.7 times in physical terms (up to 202,000 tons) and six times in monetary terms. For many years, Russia has been the main supplier of wheat and wheat flour to Georgia, but until July 2021, the share of flour was insignificant,” the report says.

The second largest importer of Russian flour was Iraq, which increased the volume of supplies by 12 times to 158,000 tons, and the third was Afghanistan, which purchased 131,000 tons of flour, which is 4.9 times more than a year ago.

Turkey also entered the top five importers, Agroexport noted. This state, as a rule, buys millet from Russia and then processes it into flour itself, but this year 78,000 tons of flour were exported to the republic, although in 2021 this figure did not even exceed 1,000 tons. Turkmenistan increased imports by 4.5 times – up to 43,000 tons.

In 2022, Russian flour was exported for the first time to Egypt, Uganda, Senegal and Sri Lanka. More than other regions of the Russian Federation flour in physical terms was exported by North Ossetia, Stavropol Territory and Moscow.

The increase in flour exports is associated with a decrease in wheat exports, said Progress Agro CEO Leonid Ragozin, which began back in 2021 after the introduction of quotas and duties.

“Then many began to develop agribusiness for processing,” he explained.

Earlier in January, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported that global food prices in December decreased for the ninth month in a row, falling 1.9% in December from November. Nevertheless, according to the results of all 2022, average food prices were 14.3% higher than in 2021, the FAO stressed.

On December 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia continues to help the poorest countries by supplying them with food, while the West pulls the blanket over itself. Then he said that in the near future Russia was ready to transfer about 260,000 tons of fertilizers to needy countries free of charge.