Russian agricultural exports rise 26% as Asian demand reshapes trade flows
Russian agricultural exports exceeded $20 billion in the first half of 2026, rising 26% year on year. China and other Asian markets are driving growth, while exporters redirect cargoes from constrained Black Sea routes.
Farm exports exceed $20 billion
Russian agricultural exports increased by 26% year on year in the first half of 2026 and exceeded $20 billion, according to the Federal Center Agroexport, as reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The longer-term trend is also positive: annual exports rose from $30.7 billion in 2020 to $41.6 billion in 2025.
Asian and Middle Eastern markets account for much of that expansion. Alexander Daniltsev, director of the HSE Institute for Trade Policy, said Chinese imports of Russian food and agricultural products increased 1.9-fold between 2021 and 2025 to $8 billion. Other leading destinations included Turkey at $3.5 billion, Egypt at $3 billion, India at $2 billion, Saudi Arabia at $1.8 billion and Iran at $1.6 billion. The United Arab Emirates and Vietnam have also become large, fast-growing buyers, while Indonesia is considered a promising market.
Daniltsev linked the shift toward Asia to population and income growth. Russian grain and vegetable oil are particularly competitive and serve as staple foods in populous markets where a large share of consumers still have limited incomes.
Grain routes shift east and north
Grain remains Russia’s most important agricultural export. Data from the Argus-Fito state information system show that exports of grain and processed grain products exceeded 36.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, substantially above the 2025 level. Shipments have nevertheless faced serious disruption in recent months because of restrictions affecting ports in the Azov and Black Sea basin.
Russia’s Agriculture Ministry told Rossiyskaya Gazeta that export flows had been redirected toward Baltic, Caspian and Far Eastern ports, as well as land border crossings. The eastern corridor is not yet the leading grain route, but it is expanding. China bought $17.6 million of Russian wheat between January and the end of August 2026, almost seven times as much as during the same period of 2025, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.
Cross-border capacity will determine how far this trade can grow. The Zabaikalsk Grain Terminal, built to transfer grain from Russian trains to Chinese rolling stock, has annual design capacity of up to 8 million tonnes. The New Land Grain Corridor group is also preparing a pilot route from Siberia through the terminal to the Chinese port of Dalian, from where Russian grain could move by sea to BRICS and Asia-Pacific markets.
Oils grow while meat faces pressure
Oils and fats, Russia’s second-largest agricultural export category by volume, reached 7.6 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, up 17% year on year, the Russian Fat and Oil Union told Rossiyskaya Gazeta. More than half went to three countries: China received 2 million tonnes, Turkey 1.3 million tonnes and India 0.9 million tonnes.
Dairy exports increased by 8.3% to 101,600 tonnes, according to Rosselkhoznadzor. CIS countries remained the main customers, although Soyuzmoloko chief executive Artem Belov identified China, the wider Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and North Africa as higher-growth opportunities. Meat and meat-product exports totaled almost 400,000 tonnes in the first half.
The meat segment performed less strongly. National Meat Association head Sergei Yushin said export volume declined by 14% year on year in the first half of 2026 because of a stronger ruble, expensive credit and higher logistics costs; pork was the only meat category to grow. Belarus was the leading buyer of Russian pork, while China led purchases of beef and poultry. Russia aims to increase overall agricultural exports by 2030 to 1.5 times their 2021 level, making logistics capacity and price competitiveness central to further expansion.
