The head of the Primorsky interregional department of Rosselkhoznadzor, Dmitry Zdanovich, reported a sharp uptick in grain and grain-processed product exports through Primorsky Territory in 2023. According to his figures relayed by TASS, total shipments reached 1.73 million tons, nearly 2.5 times higher than the previous year. This reflects a marked shift in supply chains and regional trade dynamics that are reshaping Russia’s grain export landscape.
Looking back at 2022, Primorye exported around 709 thousand tons of grain and processed goods. Zdanovich attributed much of the 2023 surge to a global reconfiguration of logistics routes, which redirected export flows from Russia’s western regions toward eastern and southern corridors. The re-routing appears to be driven by broader shifts in trade infrastructure, port access, and regional transit capabilities that favor the Primorsky Territory as a key departure point for grain shipments.
He noted that shipments to Primorye have been increasingly supplied from adjacent regions, including the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Irkutsk Region, among others. This expansion underlines the growing role of rail and road links that connect Siberian producers with the Pacific coast, enabling larger volumes to be moved toward Asian and other international markets via Primorsky ports.
Earlier, the United States Department of Agriculture, in its January review, refined its outlook for Russia by increasing forecasts for wheat exports and harvest volumes to about 1 million tons. This update suggests a broader expectation of robust grain production from Russia, aligning with the favorable weather conditions reported by domestic authorities that year.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko affirmed that Russia harvested an estimated 147 million tons of grain in 2023, with roughly 95 million tons of that total being wheat. She cautioned that while the overall harvest looked promising, it remained essential to maintain favorable weather conditions and resilient agricultural and logistical systems to realize the expected outcomes. Abramchenko also stressed that there were no dramatic weather events or climate disasters that year, contributing to the positive results.
Some industry observers had suggested that the evolving grain export framework in Russia could potentially replace earlier arrangements that governed shipments and access. This evolving context points to a broader strategic realignment of how grain products are moved to markets, with attention to regional capacity, infrastructure modernization, and international demand patterns that influence export prospects for the coming seasons. The overall trajectory indicates growing confidence in grain production and outbound shipments despite the dynamic geopolitical and economic backdrop.