NATALIA SHAGAIDA NOTED GLOBAL GROWING DEMAND FOR RUSSIAN CEREALS

Russia reached a record level of cereal production in H1 2022. This was reported by the news portal “Moscow region today”, citing data from the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR). Natalia Shagaida, Head of Agrarian Department at the Gaidar Institute, noted that Russia has long produced large volumes of cereals.

According to IKAR study, 1.533mn tons of cereals were produced in the 10 months from September 2021 to June 2022. During the same period last year, production was only 1.342mn tons. Buckwheat accounts for 422.000 tons. This indicator was the highest since 2017-2018. Buckwheat is the leader in demand. Millet, semolina and pearl millet are also popular. Demand for Turkish bulgur and couscous is also growing. OOO Mistral, a company based near Moscow, is also showing growth in production and actively exporting its products to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Natalia Shagaida reminded that Russia is the largest producer of cereals for several years and has maintained favorable environment for productivity growth. "We have had a good harvest for several years now. Russia, among other things, sells cereals abroad, as it is a relevant exports product. Since the pandemic there has been a drop in income worldwide, while food prices have risen. Thus, there is a demand for cheap calories," the expert noted.