Russia's Grain Exports Plummet Threefold in October

November 5, 2026 · Tarım Pusulası

Russia's grain exports via ports fell to 2.3 million tons in October, with significant declines in wheat shipments to critical markets like Turkey and Egypt.

Sharp Contraction in Turkish and Egyptian Markets

According to data from the Russian Grain Union, Russia's grain exports via ports decreased to 2.3 million tons in October 2026, down from approximately 7 million tons in the same period last year. Wheat exports fell 3.1 times to 2 million tons, barley shipments dropped 3.4 times to 161.4 thousand tons, and corn exports stood at 243.6 thousand tons. Wheat sent to Turkey was reduced 15.5 times to 73.5 thousand tons. Similarly, shipments to Egypt decreased by a quarter to 380.8 thousand tons. In the first four months of the season, covering July-October, total grain exports fell from 24.2 million tons to 11.2 million tons, wheat exports from 18.8 million tons to 7.8 million tons, and the number of markets decreased from 61 to 48.

Baltic Sea Emerges in Port Routes

Along with the reduction in shipment volume, a fundamental shift is occurring in Russia's grain export routes. According to Russian Grain Union records, grain shipments from the Azov-Black Sea basin, the traditional main export point, decreased 4.7 times to 4.2 million tons. In contrast, shipment volumes via Baltic Sea ports increased approximately tenfold, climbing to 2.9 million tons. However, this significant capacity increase in Baltic ports was insufficient to compensate for the substantial losses in the Black Sea route and could not prevent the overall decline in total export figures.

State Intervention Purchases Lag Behind Target

State intervention purchases, aimed at supporting producers in the Russian domestic market, are significantly behind schedule. During the four trading days between October 29 and November 3, a total of 53,055 tons of wheat were purchased for 625.9 million rubles. Although purchases increased by 30% to 14,715 tons on the last trading day, the total amount represents only 1.8% of the state's targeted 3 million tons. At the current pace of purchases, approximately 226 trading days, or 10 to 11 months, would be needed to reach the set target.

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