Russian govt extends ban on exports of rice, rice cereal to June 30, 2025

MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Interfax) - The Russian government has extended the ban on exporting raw rice and rice cereal for another six months until June 30, 2025, and has canceled restrictions on shipping rice seeds.

A resolution to this effect has been signed, the government's press service said. The decision was made in order to ensure a stable supply of this product to the domestic market.

The ban does not extend to exports to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Rice and rice cereal can also be exported abroad for humanitarian purposes and as part of international transit shipments.

In view of requests from state partners for supplies of seed material, rice for sowing has also been excluded from the ban, the press service said.

As reported, the Agriculture Ministry proposed extending the ban on exporting rice and rice cereal. Justifying the decision in an explanatory note, the ministry said that Russian production of raw rice amounts to around 1 million tonnes annually. The 2024 harvest forecast is 1.158 million tonnes compared with 1.066 million tonnes in 2023, in 2022 - 920,100 tonnes, in 2021 - 1.076 million tonnes, in 2020 - 1.142 million tonnes and in 2019 - 1.099 million tonnes. Production of rice cereal in 2024 will amount to 579,200 tonnes, compared with 625,900 tonnes in 2023, in 2022 - 551,600 tonnes million in 2021 - 515,500 tonnes, in 2020 - 439,100 tonnes and in 2019 - 385,600 tonnes.

"The measures would prevent a shortage in the domestic market and keep prices stable. Even so, the Agriculture Ministry is of the opinion that there is currently no surplus that can be exported, as confirmed by stable inventory and prices," the ministry said.

The situation with rice seeds for sowing is currently stable and does not need further regulation, according to the ministry. Given requests from partner states for seed material, the ministry considers it possible to exempt seeds from the ban.

Exports were banned on July 1, 2022 due to an accident at accident at the Fedorovsky waterworks in Krasnodar Territory, the country's main rice producing region, which reduced the Russian rice production to 920,100 tonnes that year. The purpose of the ban was to ensure domestic market stability. It was in force until December 31, 2022, then extended from January 1 to June 30, 2023, from July 1 to December 31, 2023, from January 1 to June 30, 2024 and from July 1 to December 31, 2024.