At the end of January, oilseed stocks in Russian agricultural organizations reached 4.9 million tons, a decrease of 3.3% compared to the previous year. Sunflower seed stocks amounted to 1.9 million tons, down 23.6%.

According to IKAR’s forecast, in 2025, oilseed-planted areas in Russia will reach a record 19.7 million hectares. At the beginning of the century, oilseed crops covered only 4.5 million hectares, while in the 2024/25 season, sunseed alone was planted on 9.8 million hectares. For 2025/26, sunseed acreage is expected to increase to 10.1 million hectares. Over the next 3–5 years, oilseed processing capacity in Russia is set to expand by 4–6 million tons, requiring an additional 2.5 million hectares of land. In the 2025/26 season, soybean acreage is projected at 4.6 million hectares, with an expected harvest of 8.5 million tons. The Russian Oilseed Union forecasts sunseed planting at 11.5 million hectares, soybean at 4.5 million hectares, and rapeseed at 3 million hectares in the upcoming season.

For the week starting February 19, 2025, Russia’s export tax on wheat will be 3,636.3 RUB/ton (down from 3,984.2 RUB a week earlier). The export tax on barley will be 2,202.4 RUB/ton (down from 3,062.3), and the export tax on corn will be 3,373.3 RUB/ton (down from 3,710.2).

Between September and January, Russia exported 3.22 million tons of vegetable oils, a 15% increase compared to the same period in the 2022/23 season. Sunseed oil exports reached 2.34 million tons, up 26%. The largest importers were India (1.04 million tons) and Turkey (0.435 million tons). Soyoil exports totaled 263,000 tons (-21%), with 145,000 tons going to India and 63,000 tons to Algeria. Rapeseed oil shipments amounted to 619,000 tons (+3%), with over 90% of exports directed to China. Oilseed exports were 1.36 million tons (-29%), including 224,000 tons of soybeans (-62%) and 385,000 tons of rapeseed (-20%). The export of vegetable meal stood at 1.57 million tons (-10%), with sunseed meal accounting for 1.05 million tons.

Since the beginning of the season, Russia has exported 3.8 million tons of barley to the Middle East, a 37% increase compared to the previous season. Saudi Arabia accounted for 61% of the shipments, followed by Kuwait (7%), Jordan (6%), Turkey (6%), and the UAE (6%). Between February 15 and June 30, 2025, Russia will suspend barley exports.

In the past week, 538,600 tons of wheat and 8,900 tons of corn were shipped from Russia’s Novorossiysk port. The largest wheat buyers were Egypt (443,100 tons), Saudi Arabia (66,000 tons), and Yemen (29,500 tons). A week earlier, wheat exports stood at 224,000 tons.

According to IKAR, by the end of January, Russia’s grain stocks totaled 23.2 million tons, down 27.3% year-on-year and 10% below the five-year average. Wheat stocks were 13.7 million tons (-31.5%), while corn stocks were 3 million tons (-12.9%).

Between July 1, 2024, and February 14, 2025, Ukraine exported 27.275 million tons of grain, compared to 26.269 million tons a year earlier. February exports reached 1.585 million tons, down from 2.393 million tons in the previous year. Shipments included 11.464 million tons of wheat (up from 10.14 million), 2.106 million tons of barley (up from 1.507 million), and 13.27 million tons of corn (down from 14.355 million).

According to European Commission data, between July 1, 2024, and February 2, 2025, Ukraine exported 1.24 million tons of sunseed oil to the EU, compared to 1.51 million tons in 2023/24 and 1.13 million tons in 2022/23. Ukraine accounted for 94% of the EU’s sunseed oil imports, followed by Serbia (3%) and Bosnia (1%).

Saudi Arabia has purchased 920,000 tons of milling wheat with 12.5% protein at an average price of 276.37 USD/ton C&F. According to traders, Romania will supply 300,000 tons, with additional shipments expected from Russia (two vessels), Bulgaria, and Australia (two vessels).