Morocco Leads Global Imports of Russian Wheat
Recent data released by the Russian agricultural regulatory body, Rosselkhoznadzor, has indicated that Morocco has emerged as the top global importer of wheat from the Leningrad region in the past year, with an impressive import volume of approximately 395,000 tons. This significant figure places Morocco ahead of several other key destinations, highlighting its growing reliance on Russian wheat. Oleg Yemtsov, the head of the regional administration for the Northwestern region at Rosselkhoznadzor, confirmed these statistics during a press conference held at the TASS news agency headquarters, noting a remarkable annual growth of 1.5 times in grain exports from the mentioned region.
Following Morocco in the rankings were Bangladesh, which imported 155,000 tons, and Israel with 150,000 tons. Yemtsov emphasized that this wheat reached markets in around 23 countries worldwide, including Morocco and Saudi Arabia, illustrating the expanding reach of Russian agricultural products. Additionally, he reported that over 1.762 million tons of grains and related products had been exported from Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region by the end of last year, with Saudi Arabia leading in barley imports, totaling over 100,000 tons, followed by Libya with 56,000 tons. India and China also ranked high in yellow pea imports, with 87,000 tons and 47,000 tons, respectively.
Surge in Russian Grain Exports
In the first quarter of the current year, Yemtsov indicated that grain exports had reached approximately 400,000 tons, with an additional 76,700 tons of grains exported from Kazakhstan to European Union nations via the transit customs system. The ports of Saint Petersburg, Vysotsk, and Ust-Luga facilitated shipments to 20 countries during the first three months of this year, demonstrating the effectiveness of Russian logistics in reaching diverse international markets.
Yemtsov further noted the growing interest in Russian grain imports, underscored by the increasing number of foreign delegations visiting the Vysotsk port, including a recent visit from a delegation from Djibouti and an anticipated visit from Afghan importers. Furthermore, data from the federal government information system, Argus-Veto, revealed that Russian grain exports had surpassed 17.8 million tons as of early April, marking a substantial 52% increase compared to the same period last year. Wheat exports alone surged by 63% to 11.2 million tons, while corn exports doubled, and barley and vegetable seed residue supplies increased by 33% and 34%, respectively. This trend indicates significant growth in shipments destined for Turkey, Egypt, China, Kenya, and Cameroon.
As reported by hespress.com.
