This year, the Amur Region exported 11 times more grain and twice as much soybeans. These are the data from the Amur Ministry of Agriculture for eight months of this year compared to the same period last year. The main foreign partner of our region is still neighboring China.
In just eight months of 2023, the Amur Region exported 328 thousand tons of agricultural products and food worth $112 million. And this is almost twice as much as compared to the same period last year. The main growth came from the export of grain - an 11-fold increase in this product, and the volume of soybeans doubled. As the Ministry of Agriculture explained, this is due to increased customer demand.
Among the products exported is also Amur-produced soybean oil. During this period, its volume has not changed, but the main deliveries will take place before the end of the year, experts say. According to forecasts, the 2023 figure will exceed the 2022 level by 10-15%. As for oil, this product is among those transported across the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cross-border bridge.
For soybeans, entry of soybeans into a neighboring country must be done through entry points equipped with a certified inspection facility. While there is no such thing in Heihe, the Amur authorities are now working closely on this issue with the PRC authorities. Now Amur soybeans are exported through Poyarkovo and Primorye, and in the summer by barges along the Amur River.
Last year, Amur farmers harvested a record harvest of 1.57 million tons of soybeans. The region processes 450 thousand tons of soybeans, 110 thousand tons are used for seeds, and 30 thousand tons are taken for feed by livestock and poultry farmers. In total, about 600 thousand tons are used for internal needs. The rest of the soybeans are sold domestically and for export. Now the region is focused on processing; for this purpose, existing enterprises are increasing the capacity, and the investor is beginning the construction of a plant in Belogorsk - the declared capacity is up to 1 million tons of processing.