Russia proposes batch-based tracking for animal feed from June 2027
Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry has proposed replacing package-level traceability for animal feed with batch accounting. The reform would also postpone the next implementation stage from December 1, 2026, to June 1, 2027.
Ministry proposes a less granular tracking system
Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed replacing item-level traceability for animal feed with batch-based accounting, easing the operational requirements facing producers, distributors and other companies handling the products. The draft government resolution was published on the federal regulatory proposals portal on September 7, according to Parliamentary Gazette.
The proposal would also delay the start of the next traceability stage. Under the current government resolution, market participants must introduce full item-level tracking from December 1, 2026. The ministry now wants batch accounting to take effect from June 1, 2027, giving companies an additional six months to prepare for the new requirements.
The change has not yet been presented as a completed reform. It remains a proposal to amend the existing government resolution, meaning businesses must continue to monitor the regulatory process and the final wording before changing compliance plans.
Individual package codes would no longer enter every document
Under the rules currently scheduled to begin in December 2026, companies involved in animal feed circulation would have to include the individual marking code of every package contained in a box or on a pallet in accompanying documents. That model would create a detailed record of each unit as goods move through production and distribution.
The proposed system would instead require companies to provide production batch numbers when applying marking codes, transferring goods and preparing documents. Tracking would therefore remain digital, but its core accounting unit would shift from each individual package to the production batch.
For producers, the change could reduce the volume of data attached to shipments containing many packages. Distributors and other handlers would also avoid processing every package code in transaction documents. The practical impact will depend on the final technical requirements and on how companies’ marking, warehouse and accounting systems are configured.
Government says oversight would be maintained
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said the amendments are intended to support participants in the animal feed market. It argues that batch traceability can simplify business processes without weakening oversight of feed production and circulation.
The ministry also said batch accounting could work together with existing inspections and enforcement mechanisms to create a modern digital model of state control. According to the ministry, the system would counter illegal product circulation by targeting key risks that can be addressed through digital tracking.
For the feed industry, the proposal changes both the compliance timetable and the required level of detail. Companies would gain until early summer 2027 and would prepare to report batches rather than every package. Producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers will nevertheless need to retain reliable links between marking data, production batches, transfers and supporting documents if the authorities adopt the proposal.
