Russian import agrarian products: 40 billion dollar

Russia is an enormous sales market for agrarian products. In 2012 agrarian products to the value of 40 billion dollar were imported. There was still a 3% growth in value in 2012, but there is clearly talk about a decreasing growth. Although in the first half of 2013 the imports grew again by 5%.

Meat and fruit at the top
Meat and fruit are the most important groups of products with an import of 7.4 billion and 6.3 billion respectively. Product groups with an import value of about 3 billion dollar are dairy products and beverages. Then follow vegetables and fish with about 2.5 billion dollars.

Brazil is the most important supplier of agrarian products to Russia. Last year the import from that country decreased a great deal from 4 to less than 3 billion dollar. That decrease in 2012 can be attributed in total to sugar products. Brazil changed its sugar exports to other countries, such as Indonesia and India in 2012. Meat, however, is the most important and has a share of more than 60% of the imports from Brazil.

In the first half of this year the import from Brazil showed a slight recovery (+3%). Germany is the second supplier of agrarian products. The product from Germany is more extensive than that from Brazil, but meat is the most important product as well supplied to Russia by Germany. In 2012 imports from Germany decreased somewhat. This decrease continued in the first half of this year (-9%).

The United States are the third supplier of agrarian products to Russia. In 2012 the import was a lot bigger than in previous years and rose to about 2 billion dollar. Dairy products are about half of the total and determine the general trend. In the first half of this year the good growth of 2012 came to absolutely nothing (-15%). In the fourth and fifth places followed the Ukraine and White Russia. The import from the Ukraine stabilized in 2012. Cacao- and dairy products are important products. White Russia was shown for the first time in 2012 in the Russian import statistics with an amount of 1.8 billion dollar. However, the White Russian export statistics show a much higher value. In 2012 White Russia showed an amount of 4 billion Euro of exports to Russia (see appendix). This is mainly about re-export of products from,
amongst others, Turkey, Italy, Spain, France and possibly the United States as well. In the first half of 2013 the most important increase was shown with imports from Turkey (+38%). Turkey supplies a lot of fruit and vegetables to Russia.

The Netherlands sixth; ornamental plants most important group of products. The Netherlands is sixth on the list. In 2012 the import amounting to 1.8 billion dollar and remained somewhat behind that of 2011. Ornamental plants are the most important product group for import from the Netherlands followed closely by vegetables and dairy products. The share of the Netherlands in the total Russian imports of agrarian products has been 4 to 5% for years already. The Netherlands is good for 40% of the import of ornamental plants. In the first half of this year the import from the Netherlands showed a slight improvement (+3%). Other countries with an import of more than 1 billion dollar are: China (1.6), France, Turkey, Spain, Poland, Italy, Ecuador and Norway.

For more information:
Fruit & Vegetable Facts
Jan Kees Boon
+31 6 54 687 684
www.fruitandvegetablefacts.com
jankeesboon15@gmail.com