Putin announced a multiple increase in exports of Russian agricultural products

The export of Russian agricultural products in recent years has increased by about 2.5 times, while imports have decreased, declared Russian President Vladimir Putin during a conversation with workers at the Tulazheldormash plant.

In a conversation with workers, the President recalled the food counter-sanctions that Russia introduced in 2014 in response to EU economic sectoral sanctions. According to him, this risky step led to the fact that the domestic agro-industrial complex brought its own products to the freed market.

“Our export has grown many times, just 2.5 times, in my opinion, I won’t [утверждать], so as not to confuse the numbers – but, in general, it is incomparable with what it was. Exports have grown many times, while imports, on the contrary, have decreased,” he said.

At the same time, agriculture, Putin added, has turned into a high-tech industry, which also ensures the growth in the production of agricultural machinery, mineral fertilizers, software development, etc.

In July 2014, in connection with the annexation of Crimea to Russia, the European Union imposed economic sectoral sanctions against the country. In response, on August 6, 2014, Putin signed a decree banning or restricting the import of agricultural products, raw materials and food from states that have imposed economic sanctions against Russia.

The embargo included, for example, meat, fish, shellfish, milk and dairy products, vegetables and fruits from the EU, USA, Canada, Australia and Norway. Counter-sanctions were introduced for a year, but the embargo is extended every year.

Deliveries of Russian agricultural products and foodstuffs abroad in 2022 increased by 12% in current prices, a total of 70 million tons of products were delivered, the Ministry of Agriculture reported earlier. The largest increase in the value contribution of exports was provided by the Volgograd and Sakhalin regions, Primorsky, Kamchatka and Altai territories, as well as the Republics of North Ossetia-Alania and Dagestan. How pointed out later Interfax, exports amounted to $41.6 billion.

As previously reported, the grain harvest in Russia in 2022 made up 153.8 Mt net weight, up 26.69% from 2021 results (121.4 Mt). In 2020, Russian farmers harvested 133.5 million tons of grain.