Russian wheat exports rise 3.5% to 49 million tonnes in 2025/26
Russia exported 49 million tonnes of wheat in the 2025/26 agricultural year, according to Russian Grain Union monitoring reported by Finmarket. Shipments increased by 3.5% from 47.4 million tonnes in the previous season.
Exports reach 49 million tonnes
Russia exported 49 million tonnes of wheat during the 2025/26 agricultural year, which ran from July through June, according to monitoring by the Russian Grain Union reported by Finmarket. The result was 3.5% higher than the 47.4 million tonnes shipped in the preceding agricultural year.
The reported figures put the year-on-year increase at 1.6 million tonnes. For a commodity traded in large bulk cargoes, that additional volume represents a meaningful expansion in wheat supplied from Russia to the international market, even though the monitoring excerpt does not provide a monthly breakdown or identify individual destinations.
The increase also shows that Russian exporters maintained sufficient grain availability and shipment capacity to exceed the previous season's total. The data cover the complete July-to-June marketing period rather than a partial-year comparison, allowing market participants to assess the two seasons on the same basis.
Higher volume reinforces Russia's market role
A 49 million-tonne export programme keeps Russia central to international wheat supply. The result matters to grain producers, exporters, port operators and buyers that include Russian wheat in their procurement plans. Higher Russian availability can influence competition for sales, particularly where importers compare offers from several origins.
The figures provide a clear measure of volume but do not specify export revenue, average prices or margins. A rise in tonnage therefore does not by itself demonstrate that exporters or farmers earned more. Commercial outcomes depend on sale prices and costs as well as the physical quantity shipped.
Nor does the reported total show how exports were distributed during the season. Timing can affect domestic inventories, port utilisation and competition among traders. Without monthly or destination data in the supplied monitoring excerpt, it is not possible to determine which markets accounted for the additional 1.6 million tonnes.
What the figures mean for the new season
For importers and processors, the completed-season figure confirms that Russia remained capable of placing very large wheat volumes abroad. For competing exporters, the 3.5% increase means that Russian supply expanded rather than contracted on an annual basis, adding to competition for demand during the period covered.
The 49 million-tonne benchmark will now serve as the comparison point for assessments of Russia's next agricultural year. Crop availability, domestic demand, logistics and commercial conditions will determine whether exporters can match it, but the source material provides no forecast for the new season.
The central result is therefore limited but significant: Russia increased full-season wheat exports from 47.4 million tonnes to 49 million tonnes. The Russian Grain Union monitoring, as reported by Finmarket, records growth of 3.5% and confirms another season of exceptionally large Russian wheat shipments.
