Russia increases egg imports 1.6-fold, butter 9.8% in 2024 - Rosselkhoznadzor

MOSCOW. Jan 15 (Interfax) - Russia imported 818.5 million chicken eggs in 2024, which is almost 1.6-fold more than in 2023 when the figure stood at 518 million, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) told Interfax.

Belarus was the main supplier of this product, at 710.5 million eggs (510.9 million in 2023). It was followed by Azerbaijan at 48.7 million (1.1 million) and Turkey at 44.3 million. "Turkey did not supply [eggs to Russia] in 2023, access was granted for this country in 2024," Rosselkhoznadzor said.

Russia also imported 134,700 tonnes of butter in 2024 compared to 122,700 tonnes a year earlier, it said. Belarus supplied the largest amount, at 106,400 tonnes.

"Access for butter supplies from Uzbekistan and India was granted in 2024, and the UAE began supplying butter," it said.

As reported, eggs and butter are among the products whose prices have grown significantly in recent years. The growth in egg prices at the end of 2023 led to the need to reduce the duty on egg imports to zero in H1 2024. Due to an increase in prices for butter, a quota for duty-free imports of this product totaling 25,000 tonnes was introduced at the end of 2024. This measure took effect on December 23, 2024, and will remain in place until June 15, 2025.