Tatarstan exports agricultural products to 50 states worth $300m
The volume of exports of agricultural products of the republic has increased by 20% compared to the same period last year
In January-September 2023, the volume of exports of agricultural products of Tatarstan amounted to $304,8 million. The increase compared to the same period last year is 20%. The main share of exports falls on the products of the fat and oil industry, and the largest sales growth — 66% — is shown by meat and dairy. About the reasons for the increase in supplies abroad and new potential exporters of Tatarstan products — in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
Products from Tatarstan are welcome abroad
In September 2023, the volume of exports of the agro-industrial complex of Tatarstan amounted to $304,8 million. This is by 20% more than in the same period last year. Such figures were announced to Realnoe Vremya by the Ministry of Agriculture of Tatarstan. It should be noted that by the results of the entire 2022 year, Tatarstan sent abroad the products of the agro-industrial complex in the amount of $417 million (+6,9% to the level of 2021).
Over the past September, the republic exported:
- products of the fat and oil industry in the amount of $204,9 million (an increase of +17%);
- grain worth $16 million (+13%);
- meat and dairy products worth $13,7 million (+66%);
- products of the food and processing industry in the amount of $16,9 million (-4%);
- other agricultural products in the amount of $53,1 million (+20,1%).
The main share of exports falls on the products of the fat and oil industry. The leading enterprises are the Kazan Fat Plant and Essen Production. The second largest — other agricultural products — includes animal feed and feed additives, alcoholic beverages and oilseeds. A significant role in the export of such goods is played by Saria Bio-Industries Volga (production of feed additives), Tatspirtprom (alcoholic beverages), Agrorost Export (traders of oilseeds and flax seeds), Ratsin joint stock company.
The geography of supplies of 160 Tatarstan participants in foreign economic activity includes 54 countries of the world, the Ministry of Agriculture noted.
The East plays a big role, Chairman of the Association of Farmers and Peasant Farmsteads of Tatarstan Kamiyar Baytemirov told Realnoe Vremya.
“Relations with China and the Middle East are on the rise now. Probably, relations with the DPRK are going to improve. Kim Jong Un has visited us, negotiations took place there. I think these negotiations will be followed by practical matters. According to our data, they need food," he said.
Milk rivers are becoming fuller
The largest export growth (+66%) is shown by meat and dairy products: they were sold abroad for $13,7 million.
“If two years ago we lacked about 6-8 million tonnes of milk, now there is an overproduction. If there is overproduction, we need to look for sales markets," the chairman of the Association of Farmers and Peasant Farms of Tatarstan commented on the increase in this indicator.
Tatarstan ranks first in terms of gross milk yield, Chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan Farid Mukhametshin has recently stated:
“Despite the sanctions, we have preserved all branches of the national economy of the multi-vector economy of our republic. The agricultural sector operates successfully.
Such results were achieved thanks to the large-scale modernisation of the Kazan and Arsky dairy plants with the attraction of preferential investment loans. In 2021, 3,5 billion rubles of investments were allocated for the work on the Kazan Dairy Plant. The modernisation took place in three stages: during the first, 1,6 billion rubles were mastered, the second — 1,.1 billion, and the third — 0,8 billion rubles.
Denis Pirogov, the director general of the Union of Milk Producers of Tatarstan, said that Tatarstan is the most “dairy” region in the country. From 2017 to 2021, the volume of milk processing in Tatarstan increased by 42%. In June 2021, the milestone of 4 thousand tonnes of daily milk processing was overcome, Pirogov noted.
According to the regional Ministry of Agriculture and Food, in 2022 Tatarstan exported dairy products worth $8,6 million, and in 2021 — $4,3 million. The daily volume of milk processing in 2022 amounted to 3,960 tonnes, which is by 16,2% more than in 2021.
The main exporters of Tatarstan dairy products were Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Singapore, Belarus, Serbia, Abkhazia, Mongolia, and Tajikistan.
Pitfalls for exports
However, not everything is so smooth: challenges await the export of agricultural products of Tatarstan.
“Customs duties were imposed on all types of products that go outside Russia by the government's decision, and this is unprofitable for agricultural producers," Kamiyar Baytemirov complained.
According to him, this will have a negative impact on exports.