Export of plant meals from Russia increased by 44% in July 2024, reaching 507,000 tons, according to the Oil and Fat Union.

In July 2024, exports of vegetable meal from Russia to foreign markets amounted to 507 thousand tons, which is 44% higher than the previous year's figure. These data are provided by the Russian Oilseed Union to the field.rf journal.

According to the union's report, the export of sunflower meal and cake increased by 82%, reaching 441.5 thousand tons. Deliveries to China significantly grew to 170.4 thousand tons, compared to 29.2 thousand tons last July.

Turkey topped the list of sunflower meal and cake buyers, purchasing 113.7 thousand tons (+39%), followed by Belarus with 86.9 thousand tons (+71%).

However, the export of rapeseed meal and cake decreased by 96% to 22.2 thousand tons, compared to 40.5 thousand tons in July 2023. The decrease in deliveries was noticeable in Latvia, down to 1.5 thousand tons.

Shipments to Germany, France, Denmark, Lithuania, and Latvia stopped, but exports to Morocco and Turkey began. China purchased 5.7 thousand tons of rapeseed meal, which is 26% lower than the previous July.

The soybean meal shipments in July of this year totaled 73.4 thousand tons, which is 9% lower than in July 2023. Belarus took the lead in purchases, increasing imports by 62% to 24.9 thousand tons.

Turkey ranked second on the soybean meal importers list, reducing imports by 42% to 21.5 thousand tons. Uzbekistan took the third place, receiving 10.5 thousand tons (+22%).

"After the announcement earlier in the year of the European Union's intention to impose duties on the import of oilseed processing products from Russia and Belarus, our exporters began to redirect shipments to other markets. International trade is a system of interconnected needs and offers. The cessation of supplies from Russia and Belarus to the EU will be compensated by deliveries from other countries, which will reduce the share of these countries in other markets, and then Russian shipments will replace them. Primarily, this will happen in our traditional friendly countries. Against the background of consistently high demand and internal production growth, domestic meal supplies to the global market will inevitably increase," explained Mikhail Maltsev, the executive director of the Russian Oilseed Union.

Starting from July 1, 2024, the European Union increased duties on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus. The duty on soft wheat is 95 euros per ton, hard wheat - 148 euros, barley and rye - 93 euros, oilseeds, oils, meals, and beet pulp - 50% of the customs value.