Russian flour production holds near 4.6 million tonnes in first half
Russia produced 4.61 million tonnes of flour in the first half of 2026, broadly matching the 4.63 million tonnes recorded a year earlier. Wheat flour output remained stable, but rye flour and exports declined.
First-half production remains broadly stable
Russian flour mills produced 4.61 million tonnes of flour in the first half of 2026, almost unchanged from 4.63 million tonnes in the same period of 2025. The figures, reported by Interfax and attributed to Irina Glazunova, deputy director general of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies, indicate that the country's milling industry maintained its overall production level despite changes within individual flour categories.
June output reached 729,500 tonnes, compared with 727,900 tonnes in June 2025. The year-on-year increase was modest, while production declined from 746,500 tonnes in May 2026. This monthly movement suggests that the sector entered the middle of the year without a major change in operating volumes, although June activity was below the preceding month's level.
Wheat flour dominates as product mix shifts
Wheat flour accounted for 4.25 million tonnes of first-half production, down slightly from 4.27 million tonnes a year earlier. Premium-grade flour output remained at 3 million tonnes, making it the most stable and largest reported segment. First-grade flour production fell by 4.2% to 713,400 tonnes from 744,900 tonnes, while second-grade output increased by 4.5% to 38,800 tonnes from 37,100 tonnes.
The largest contraction was recorded in rye flour. Production declined by 7.2% to 203,000 tonnes from 218,900 tonnes in the first half of 2025. Although rye flour represents a much smaller volume than wheat flour, the fall is significant for mills and food manufacturers serving rye-based bakery markets. The figures show that stable aggregate output is being supported primarily by premium-grade wheat flour rather than by uniform performance across the product portfolio.
Seasonal output and exports remain below earlier peaks
During the first 11 months of the 2025/26 milling season, covering August 2025 through June 2026, Russian flour production totaled 8.79 million tonnes. That was below the 8.9 million tonnes produced during the corresponding period of the previous season. The highest result for this 11-month period in the past ten seasons was 9.41 million tonnes in 2023/24, leaving current production 620,000 tonnes below that benchmark.
Exports have weakened more sharply than production. Russian flour shipments declined for a second consecutive season after reaching a record 1.2 million tonnes in the 2023/24 agricultural year. Exports totaled 512,000 tonnes in 2025/26, compared with 760,000 tonnes a year earlier—a reduction of 248,000 tonnes. With domestic milling volumes relatively stable but foreign shipments falling, exporters face a smaller external outlet, while mills are more dependent on domestic demand. For grain processors and market analysts, the key distinction is therefore between resilient production capacity and a substantially weaker export channel.
