Russia to export agricultural products to ‘friendly countries’ only

Russian Minister for Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev said on Thursday that the country’s grain harvest could reach 130 million tons this year, which would be enough to cover both domestic needs and ensure export potential.

Speaking on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), he pointed to numerous challenges including broken supply chains and difficulties with financial calculations.

Patrushev said Russia has to overcome these obstacles in order to provide food to the countries that need it most. “Our [agricultural] products will be on foreign markets, but only in those countries that are friendly to us, that do not create hurdles and difficulties for us,” he told reporters.

Russia is expecting a bumper grain crop this year, including a record wheat harvest, President Vladimir Putin said last month. He added that a number of countries are facing the threat of famine, stressing that the blame for this situation lies entirely with “the Western elites.”

The grain crisis is being felt across the globe as wheat prices have surged to record highs over the past two months. The global food market, already affected by weather and the Covid pandemic, was dealt another blow due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions on Moscow. This has sparked fears of global food insecurity and hunger.

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