Russia is poised to export a substantial amount of grain in the 2022-2023 agricultural year, with projections reaching 55 to 60 million tons. This ambitious target was highlighted in a presidential address to the Federal Assembly by President Vladimir Putin, underscoring the scale of the country’s grain output and its implications for global markets.
Putin stated that by the end of the agricultural year, which runs through June 30, 2023, total grain exports could rise to 55–60 million tons. He noted that achieving this level would be a breakthrough, remarking that even 10 to 15 years ago such an outcome would have sounded like a fairy tale rather than a realistic goal.
The president added that this season’s harvest has been exceptionally strong, with a record annual output of about 150 million tons of grain, including more than 100 million tons of wheat. This milestone reflects the scale of Russian farming operations and the favorable conditions experienced during the growing season.
Data released by Rosstat in the latter half of January confirms that Russia’s total grain and legume harvest for 2022 reached a net weight of 153.8 million tons, reinforcing the impression of a robust agricultural year and supporting the broader export outlook.
Meanwhile, discussions in Central Asia have drawn attention to border and trade dynamics related to grain flows. The Kazakh Financial Monitoring Agency reported the existence of a gray-market scheme involving Russian grain, which is later re-exported under its own label. According to the agency, between 2021 and 2022, a Kazakh company reportedly exported around 8.3 thousand tons of grain worth about 1 billion tenge (roughly $2.2 million) from Russia to destinations including Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. This information highlights how cross-border grain movements can blur the lines between domestic trade and re-export activities, with important implications for regional market transparency and regulatory oversight (Source: Kazakh Financial Monitoring Agency).