Potential for exports of Russian agricultural products to Africa by 2030 exceeds $7.5 bln - Agroexport

ADDIS ABABA. Nov 21 (Interfax) - Exports of Russian agricultural products to Africa could exceed $7.5 billion by 2030, the head of the Agroexport federal center Ilya Ilyushin said at the round table "Russia-Africa: A Strategic Partnership in Agriculture to Ensure Food Security," which was held as part of the international conference on ensuring the food sovereignty of African countries in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) on Friday.

"We see significant potential in expanding supplies of Russian agricultural products to Africa. By 2030, Russian agricultural exports to African countries could exceed $7.5 billion. The basis of our supplies will still be grains, but vegetable oils, meat and dairy products, fish and finished food products also have significant potential," he said.

Over the past five years, exports of agricultural products from Russia to African countries have more than doubled and in 2024 reached almost $7 billion, Ilyushin said. The main product was wheat, which accounted for 95% of supplies in value terms. "Our grain exports to Africa over the past five years have doubled and exceeded 27 million tonnes worth $6 billion in 2024," he said.

The key buyers of Russian grain on the continent are Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Libya, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania and Sudan, he said.

Exports of oil and fat products to Africa over five years increased almost 1.6-fold and in 2024 amounted to almost 880,000 tonnes, worth $721 million. "Sunflower oil accounts for 62% of total supplies, and soybean oil for 35% in value terms," Ilyushin said. "The main buyers are predominantly North African countries - Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya. We need to expand the geography of supplies, increasing exports to other regions of the continent."

It is also necessary to expand the geography of exports of fish and fish products, he said. So far, the main buyer is Nigeria, which accounted for 78% of supplies in 2024.

Despite existing difficulties, supplies of livestock products are also growing, Ilyushin said. Mainly, this refers to poultry meat, which accounted for 47% of exports in 2024, and dry skimmed milk (41%).

Overall, 23,000 tonnes of livestock products worth $32 million were exported to African countries in 2024. Over the five-year period, supplies increased threefold in physical terms and fourfold in value terms.