Russian Agriculture News

It is a shame the west does not have a free media to find out such information and deliver it to the public as a public service to keep the public informed on facts instead of press releases from the various propaganda outlets like the US state department.

I've read once that Luhansk and Donetsk both have around 3 million hectares of of arable land which is more than the arable land in Sweden.

The west is crazy due to their big investments on the Ukrainian agriculture .

As example the US Cargill and EU Agrofusion have thrown a lot of money on Kherson lands .

Agrofusion has built Hola Prystan factory with 4,000 mT Processing capacity of fresh tomatoes per day.

The UK DANCROFT HOLDINGS LIMITED has invested in Processing soybeans which produces soybean oil powder and olive oil .

The Kherson region has about 2 million hectares of agricultural land and is the largest share of plowed fields in Ukraine.

Hola Prystan factory

You can bet your backside the safest job in the Ukraine is on a farm owned by an American company... no conscription for you.... those crops need to be harvested and that is all that matters.

Those Ukrainian food exports through the EU is US farms making money while the sun shines...

GarryB wrote:You can bet your backside the safest job in the Ukraine is on a farm owned by an American company... no conscription for you.... those crops need to be harvested and that is all that matters.

Those Ukrainian food exports through the EU is US farms making money while the sun shines...

Of course if the Russians take over, then that farmland will be confiscated anyway. So sooner or later they'll conscript the workers there too, and the workers at every enterprise.

Right now in the Ukraine they've started conscripting prisoners. As those start to run out, they can take the guards and put them into the army too.

Russia set for record grain exports – minister, 05.22.2024.

Newly appointed Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut expects foreign sales to reach $45 billion this year.

Cross-border sales of grain produced in Russia will hit an all-time high this year, Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut has said, adding that exports are expected to reach some $45 billion in monetary terms.

Speaking during a plenary session on food security at the international ‘Russia’ exhibition forum, Lut said the country had exported $43.5 billion worth of grain last year.

“We have great prospects for the export of crop products this year,” she said “We seem to be setting a record pace for the export of our grains.”

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country’s agricultural sector must increase exports by 50% by 2030 compared to figures recorded in 2021. Back then, the country’s exports of agricultural produce amounted to $37 billion.

Grain exports are expected to rise to more than $55 billion by 2030, according to Lut, who said the ministry also expects Russian farmers to boost production by 25% within six years in order to meet the president’s targets.

The minister has called for a decrease in production costs, which would help Russian farmers to become more competitive on international markets. She also said the sector was yet to resolve the problem of providing exporters with domestic dry-cargo carriers.

In March, Putin said Russia was the world’s fourth-biggest exporter of agricultural produce, and number one in terms of wheat sales. However, he highlighted the need to boost the production of tomatoes and certain other types of produce with a view to decreasing reliance on imports.

Russian food exports have surged in recent years due to bumper harvests and attractive pricing, despite Western sanctions that have hampered the country’s foreign trade. Moscow has also been supplying free grain to a number of African countries that are facing food insecurity.

Earlier this year, the head of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture’s Agroexport center, Dmitry Krasnov, said Russia has been exporting around 250 types of agricultural produce to more than 100 countries around the world. He said China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Algeria and Indonesia were among the most important markets, while exports to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and former Soviet states were expected to increase in the near future.

https://www.rt.com/russia/598032-russia-record-grain-exports-minister/

Of course if the Russians take over, then that farmland will be confiscated anyway. So sooner or later they'll conscript the workers there too, and the workers at every enterprise.

They are sending disabled people and women to the front before they are allowed to send those farm workers gathering those American crops... and when the farms get overrun will those workers retreat into Orc controlled territory or remain on the captured territory... they were not in the army and they were not armed... technically they are civilians, so as the Russian forces advance through their farm the change in ownership might lead to a violent period where the Orcs try to shell the fields and cover them in cluster munitions to make harvests a bitch, but Russia does not have conscription like Kiev does... at worst you get conscripted and sent to the far end of Russia to do your conscription time... you can't do conscription where you live if there is a war on there.

But don't you love the irony that the farm boys get out of this war... most of the time it is farm boys joining the army to get away from the farm on which they feel trapped... like the US example during Vietnam...

Right now in the Ukraine they've started conscripting prisoners. As those start to run out, they can take the guards and put them into the army too.

Yes, that will only get worse but the only people with the power are the ones supplying money and they are supplying money to make money... it is the only reason companies and the very rich donate to politicians and political parties... to get favours that allow them to make 1,000 times more money than they donate... rich people are not stupid and don't do things to be nice or appear to be nice.

Russian grain will find new buyers instead of Europe, by Olga Samofalova for VZGLYAD. 05.31.2024.

Europe is introducing protective duties on Russian and Belarusian grain. In essence, this means stopping exports from Russia. Why did Brussels continue to buy Russian grain despite the severance of many economic ties? And what will this new ban lead to?

The EU actually adopted a ban on the purchase of Russian and Belarusian grain. From July 1, protective duties come into force. The duty amount was stated at 95 euros per ton. The EU explained the need for such duties to prevent “destabilization of the European market.”

Now Russia and Belarus either pay low or zero duties, says Belgian Finance Minister Vincent van Peteghem. At the same time, the EU assures that these measures “will not affect transit through the European Union from Russia and Belarus to other countries.” The spread of increased tariffs also to Belarus was explained by the close economic and political ties between Moscow and Minsk.

The Kremlin noted that Russia has many alternative destinations for supplies, but European consumers may suffer. The situation with global food supply may also worsen.

Why is Brussels taking this step? From a political point of view, the EU explains this as a nod towards Ukrainian grain. This step was a new way to strengthen solidarity with Ukraine, said the Foreign Minister of Belgium, which is chairing the EU, Aja Labib.

“Europe made this decision, most likely, because foreign companies, including Cargill and Viterra, can no longer supply grain from Russia, and now only Russian companies, which are coordinated by the Russian government, are engaged in exporting grain from Russia,” believes Ekaterina Novikova, Associate Professor, Department of Economic Theory, Russian Economic University. Plekhanov.

In addition, for Europe this is a great opportunity to get rid of a rival in the local market with a better quality product and a more attractive price.
“Russia has declared itself as a significant competitive player in the world grain market - which means it will try to increase its market share at the expense of other countries, including the European countries: Germany and France.

The European refusal of Russian grain should help support local farmers; another issue is that grain production in the EU has become expensive due to rising prices for fertilizers and electricity. Therefore, in the near future, prices for grain products in Europe may rise and cause discontent among European citizens,” – concludes Ekaterina Novikova.

Many European farmers, especially Bulgarian, Polish and Romanian, would, of course, happily get rid of Ukrainian grain rather than Russian. Because it was Ukrainian volumes that brought them to the brink of survival. However, it is politically impossible to introduce protective duties against Ukraine. Therefore, Brussels had to put out the internal fire against Ukrainian grain by allocating 65 million euros to support the affected farmers.

What consequences will such a move by the European Union lead to?

According to the Union of Grain Exporters, in 2023, supplies of Russian grain crops to EU countries amounted to 1.5 million tons, or 1.3 billion euros. However, Financial Times sources in the European Commission estimated this volume at 4.2 million tons of grains, oilseeds and their products, but for the same amount - 1.3 billion euros.

As for Belarus, according to estimates from the European Commission, in 2023 it sent 610 thousand tons of grains, oilseeds and their processed products to Europe worth 246 million euros.

On the one hand, the volumes of supplies of Russian and Belarusian grain are not critical for both sides. Even if we are talking about 4 million tons of grain that Russia sold to Europe, then in percentage terms this is only 1% of the European Union’s consumption, so the reduction of these supplies will not affect either the rise in prices or the food security of Europe, Nikolai Pereslavsky believes. Head of Economic Research Department, CM Service.

However, a change of supplier is unlikely to pass without leaving a trace.

“Surely a change in the exporter of grain crops will affect their cost, as logistics will become more expensive.
First of all, the EU will begin to purchase all French grain, and they can import the missing volumes from countries that are world leaders in its exports - from Australia, the USA, Canada, Argentina, Romania and Bulgaria,” notes Vladimir Chernov, an analyst at Freedom Finance. Global. But the rise in grain prices should not affect all food products in the EU, he believes, only those goods that are produced from them.

It is worth understanding that all these years, despite the geopolitical and economic confrontation, the EU continued to buy grain from Russia - and there were reasons for this. Russian grain is of higher quality, since it has higher natural indicators (bulk density), notes Chernov. At the same time, its cost was more profitable and attractive for European consumers than their local one.

“This year, the cost of grain on world commodity markets has increased significantly due to frosts in Russia in early May, so Russian exports should also increase in price. However, we assume that even in this case, prices for Russian grain will still be lower than European ones: first of all, due to large volumes of exports, and secondly, against the background of the likely provision of a discount due to difficulties with export payments and other external risks,” – Chernov reasons.

Thus, export prices for Russian wheat with 12.5% ​​protein FOB Novorossiysk only in the week before May 24 increased by almost 4%, and over the month - by as much as 15.6%, according to the center of price indices.

For Russia, the EU’s refusal to buy our grain is unlikely to be critical. A product of this quality and at this price will definitely find a buyer. “Russian producers shipped 65 million tons to all foreign consumers last year. Therefore, for Russia this volume of 4 million tons is also not decisive. Most of all domestic grain is sold to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran,” adds Pereslavsky.

In the current agricultural season (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), grain exports from Russia could reach a record 68-70 million tons, said Evgeny Zaitsev, deputy director of the Agroexport federal center, at the All-Russian Grain Forum.

Finding buyers for these volumes should not be difficult for Russia, agrees Chernov. Still, the EU was not initially the main buyer of our goods; traditionally, Russian grain was bought by the countries of the Middle East and the CIS. Last year, the main buyers of Russian grain were Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Pakistan and Israel. None of these countries refuses to export Russian grain, so the lost volumes will most likely be redistributed to them, Chernov believes.

The good news was the opening of the Indian grain market for export. The country plans to waive the 40% duty on imported wheat, hoping to resume its supplies, including from Russia. The Indian market could just take over the 4-5 million tons of grain lost from the European market.

https://vz.ru/economy/2024/5/31/1270814.html

“destabilization of the European market.”

Maybe they should stop importing the garbage from Banderaland.

Russia Increases Agricultural Exports to $43.5 Billion, by Valeria Gorodetskaya for VZGLYAD. 07.04.2024.

Ministry of Agriculture: Russia Increases Agricultural Exports to $43.5 Billion.

Last year, Russia achieved all the target indicators of the state program for agricultural development, according to the national report presented to the government by the head of the Ministry of Agriculture Oksana Lut.

The report notes that all target indicators were achieved last year, including the agricultural production index, the food production index, wages in agriculture, the volume of agricultural exports and the import substitution index, the government's Telegram channel says . In total, 440 billion rubles were allocated for the implementation of the state program in 2023, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.

According to preliminary data, agricultural production grew by 10.2% by 2020, crop production increased by 15%, livestock production by 3.4%, according to the report. 49 new and reconstructed meat livestock facilities, over 170 dairy farms and complexes were put into operation. The volumes of raw milk processing increased.

Production in the food and processing industry increased by 11.6%, the import substitution index was 117%. In addition, the level of production of dairy, flour and cereal products, vegetable oils, seeds, vegetables and melons increased. The level of food security is also increasing. The volumes of grain, sugar, meat, fish, vegetable oil are sufficient for both the domestic market and for deliveries abroad.

Agricultural exports reached record levels, increasing to $43.5 billion. Russia is the leader in wheat and frozen fish supplies, and one of the leaders in sunflower and rapeseed oil exports, according to the report. Agricultural wages increased by 16% to 54.6 thousand rubles.

The plans for 2030 include: achieving the Food Security Doctrine indicators, increasing production, growing investment in the industry, increasing exports of agricultural products, achieving technological leadership in the areas of selection and genetics, biotechnology, and the production of veterinary drugs.

According to Lut, to achieve these goals, it is necessary to provide the industry with professional personnel, popularize agricultural professions, and build a system of personnel training from school to employer. It is noted that more than 270 educational programs have been developed as part of additional professional training of personnel.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/7/4/1276228.html

Sunflower and rapeseed oil. Garbage "food" that should be avoided at all costs if you care about your health. Linoleic acid is not supposed to be used as an energy source.
It is only needed in very small amounts for nerve tissues. That means less than 2% of all calorie intake and not the 20% or more that is "normal" for many people.

Wheat harvest this year will be lower than last years, mostly due unfavorable weather in winter wheat regions. We will lesser exports in volumes, but price should be better due to lower wheat harvests both in Russia and Ukraine.

Brazilian agribusiness in 2023 exported US$166.55 billion and is one of the largest in the world. I've always thought that Russia has enormous untapped potential. 43 billion dollars is still very little, but it is a clear indication that this sector is growing a lot.

Most of the country is not suitable for intensive agricultural production, while in Brazil main regions have two harvests. Exports will rise further, but i doubt it will ever be as high as Brazil's agri exports.

Good for Brazil. Russia doesn't need to be the best at everything... it is just not practical.

GarryB wrote:Good for Brazil. Russia doesn't need to be the best at everything... it is just not practical.

Certainly no one can be good at everything, but I'm not talking about being good at all, but rather about maximizing this market segment.
Agribusiness has a good return and has a very large technological cycle involved, not to mention that it is a huge source of revenue outside of Oil/Gas.

In any case, I'm starting to think that economic planners have already seen this given that the numbers are significantly higher compared to the recent past.

I wish Russia would come up with Farming innovations where Real crops like wheat, rice, fruits, etc can be grown in Greenhouse/ indoor facilities. Right now, the main limitation for indoor/ vertical farming is that there is only a limited variety of produce that can be grown, and these are mostly just Leafy greens.

There is no need to grow grains indoors (nor would it be remotely economical). Grains can be dried and stored for years. You can grow them in the harvest season on any fertile land in the country and then package and sell them in the Arctic for all that it matters.

Fruits can be dried of course and vegetables can be pickled. But the main use of greenhouses in Russia is to ensure a year-round supply of fresh vegetables to people including during the long winters, or to those regions of the country which don't have much cultivatable land at all or the conditions to practice agriculture.

With its vast non-used arable lands, Russia could well increase its corn and soybean crops in the long run. Corn exports to Latin American countries, where it is part of the base staple food.
Russian land used for sugar beet could be gradually switched to increased grain crop plantations (mainly wheat, corn, soybeans, sunflower and rapeseed, where Russia has comparative production advantages) once Russia fully develops sugarcane sugar imports for its national supply from tropical Global South countries paid for in rubles and national currencies.

sepheronx wrote:Brazil also has one of the largest beef industries in the world. Maybe largest.

Russian ranching industry is still growing. Growth in pig, chicken and beef is growing at a healthy pace.  That will determine a lot of future growth.

As long as they have animals living in decent condition, i.e. having enough space, being able to move and run and have fresh air... and of course with healthy food for them.

I really hate "animal factories", I e. Intensive animal farming.

sepheronx wrote:I do too. I am against the animal factory. It's just that most of these high profit places are exactly those.

They should be just banned.
For me It was a sad news when a few years ago i read in sdelanounas website that finally Russia also had a modern pig "factory".

In germany there are 4 "levels" of meat, in term of animal farming, but unfortunately most meat sold belong to the lowest rating.

https://www.dw.com/en/protesters-in-germany-demand-an-end-to-cheap-supermarket-meat/a-52147598#:~:text=The%20rearing%20standard%20of%20most,premium%22%20level%20of%20animal%20care.

The rearing standard of most meat at German supermarkets was rated, on a scale of 1 to 4, at 1 or 2. 1 is the lowest possible legal rating of animal containment, with animals often kept in poor or tight conditions, while 4 indicates a "premium" level of animal care.

We have on one side some crazy vegans, and on the other side people who eats cheap and bad meat and too much of it.

Probably there is not enough space to have high standards of animal care for all the meat it is sold, but then probably it would be better to sell and consume less. Instead of increasing the price of premium meat, just have only "safe" meat from healthy animals who did not live in "factories" and provide more healthy (bio standard) alternatives to supply good nutrients (including beans, lentils, farro, etc) , so that you can have an healthy diet without too much excess or without renouncing to important foods.

I did not mention soy, because it is not typical of my "heritage" and because unless properly "treated" (like in fermented soy, or other typical Asian dishes, i.e. Natto) your body will not be able to absorb most nutrient present in Soy. Antinutrient are also present in Lentils and other vegetables but there it is easier to get rid of them (i.e. washing lentils in water, and leaving them in water for several hours (and changin water a couple of times) before cooking them).

I am mentioning this because most vegan westerners that eat soy do not even know how Asian people prepare and cook it and why.

Industrial animal husbandry wastes the resource. They feed the chickens and pigs soy and other grains. So these mono-gastric species have
a lot of linoleic acid in their tissues and fat. The feeding of grain to cows is an atrocity. The best food for beef raising is grass. The free stuff that
grows by itself. Grass fed cattle also are a net sequestration of CO2 since the grazing of the grass followed by regrowth acts to load carbon into the
soil.

ACRA predicts record export of agricultural products in 2024, 07.08.2024.

ACRA: Russian agricultural exports may break records again in 2024.

MOSCOW, July 8 — RIA Novosti. Exports of Russian agricultural products in 2024 could be record-breaking again and exceed $45 billion — this is realistic given the results of the first half of the year, which in volume terms exceeded the results of the same period last year by 16 percent, Anton Trenin, an expert at the ACRA corporate ratings group, told RIA Novosti.

"Speaking about the current year, we can recall that back in 2018, during the May decrees, Vladimir Putin set the goal of achieving agricultural exports worth 45 billion dollars in 2024. In my opinion, it is quite achievable and can even be exceeded, given the good results of the first half of the year, which exceeded the results of the first half of 2023 in volume terms by 16 percent," Trenin said.

He noted that due to the May crop losses, the second half of the year's figures may be weaker, but the growing volumes of meat and dairy exports will allow the planned figures to be exceeded. "As a result, I believe that this year will be another record year for agricultural exports in monetary terms," ​​the expert added.

In June, the head of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture Oksana Lut told journalists that Russia had increased its agricultural exports by 16 percent since the beginning of the current year, and they had already exceeded 50 million tons, with supplies of meat and dairy products also actively increasing. According to her, the fall in world prices for basic products led to a slight decrease in Russian supplies in value terms compared to last year's level.

https://ria.ru/20240708/akra-1958118739.html