Over 5 months, the Russian Federation increased barley exports by 2.1 times to more than 3 million tons

In the first five months of 2024, Russia has seen a significant increase in barley exports, with over 3 million tons sent abroad, marking a 2.1-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023. This surge in exports positions Russia as a potential global leader in barley exports for the current season, with the country on track to export a record 8.8 million tons against 5.64 million tons from the previous season. Saudi Arabia has been the largest importer of Russian barley, followed by Iran, China, Tunisia, and Algeria, with the majority of exports being delivered through ports in the Azov-Black Sea basin, Caspian Sea ports, and ports and border crossings of the Far Eastern Federal District. The rise in exports is attributed to factors such as increased harvest yields, higher carry-over stocks, improved competitiveness of Russian barley in the foreign market, and infrastructure expansion for exporting the crop. Additionally, the success of the current export season is also credited to the low duty on barley, which became zero in May.