Tatarstan wants to increase agricultural exports to $1.3 billion by 2030 — almost three times more than in 2024
Wheat sales are planned to increase 320 times, dry dairy products — 35 times, compared to 2023
According to the results of last year, the volume of exports of agricultural products from Tatarstan was $460 million. The republic is already making plans for the next five years. According to the optimistic forecast, this figure could reach $1.3 billion. The greatest growth is expected from wheat sales — up to $130.8 million. Realnoe Vremya reports on the steps agricultural producers need to take to implement the ambitious plan.
“We will not be able to fulfil this volume only due to the companies operating today”
The volume of exports of agricultural products from Tatarstan in 2024 amounted to $460 million, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustem Gainullov as part of a business programme of the Kazan Agro forum. During this period, 58 companies of the republic shipped goods to 56 countries.
As head of the Department of Industry Development of Agroexport federal centre Vitaly Nagalin later added, from 2018 to 2024, the export of agricultural products almost tripled, and the greatest growth was demonstrated by oil and fat products. The most popular products included sunflower oil, mayonnaise and sauces, confectionery, cake, rapeseed oil. The main importing countries were India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Belarus and China.
According to Gainullov, Tatarstan will have to increase this figure to about $898 million by 2030 — this is the planned task set by the federal centre.
“This is a big, complex task, we need to double our exports. We need to approach [it] systematically. We will not be able to fulfil this volume only through those companies that are currently operating in our country. We need to actively develop and launch new export-oriented production facilities now, at this stage, that will produce high-margin products with added value,” said the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
What products will become drivers of export development
Nagalin shared even more ambitious plans. According to the individual program for the development of agricultural exports in Tatarstan, by 2030 exports may exceed $1.3 billion. This is the optimistic scenario. The conservative scenario assumes that exports are half as much — $600.8 million. It is not being seriously considered, the speaker noted.
“It is characterised by a declining production volume and a lack of support from the state, a reduction in the product range of export products. In general, this is an unworkable scenario,” he believes.
The basic option assumes a bar of exactly $898.6 million. “But we have ambitions, and they are estimated at $1.3 billion," Nagalin said. According to him, experts came to this forecast after communicating with 90% of Tatarstan agricultural exporters: discussing their plans, investment projects and challenges.
In terms of food, the greatest growth is expected from wheat sales: 320 times compared to 2023, from $0.4 million to $130.8 million. They also plan to increase sales of dry dairy products (from $11.7 million to $33 million), cheeses and cottage cheese (from $2 million to $37 million). The export of sunflower and rapeseed oils, as well as oilcake, may double, still bringing the republic the greatest income: up to $566 million against $263 million in 2023.
In addition, the launch of sales of new items is expected: legumes, pork and offal, pasta, sausages and semi-finished products. The list of new countries promising for export of Tatarstan agricultural products includes Brazil, Morocco, Libya, South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia, South Sudan and others.
The International HALAL Certification Center proposes to create a Halal body of the BRICS countries
Speakers have repeatedly named increasing the export of halal products as one of the key areas for Tatarstan. As the chairman of the halal standard committee under the Tatarstan Muslim Religious Directorate Abbas Shaposhnikov said, the organisation has come up with the initiative to create an interdepartmental working group for the development of the industry in the republic. The committee also plans to undergo accreditation in Malaysia and African countries and create the first laboratory for testing halal products in Russia.
“On 5 February 2025, a meeting was held with the Deputy Minister of the Head of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia Maxim Borovoy. We initiated the development of a package of state support measures for producers of halal products for all regions of Russia, and then measures to enable the introduction of a new Islamic economy in the activities of enterprises,” added Shaposhnikov.
Meanwhile, the International HALAL Certification Center plans to recognize Russian products in Indonesia in February-March. The relevant documents have also been submitted to Turkey, said the head of the organisation, Aidar Gazizov.
The speaker also spoke about the initiative to create a separate halal structure for the BRICS countries.
Considering that these are mostly Arab and Muslim countries, none of which have become unfriendly in recent years, this would allow us to successfully develop trade turnover between the BRICS countries, he is confident.