Russia to focus primarily on friendly countries in exports of agricultural products - minister

MOSCOW. April 22 (Interfax) - Russia will give preference to friendly countries in the export of agricultural products.

"We will continue to develop our export potential, focusing primarily on the markets of friendly states," Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut was quoted as saying by the ministry's press service at a meeting of the State Duma Committee on Agricultural Issues on Tuesday.

The meeting reviewed the national report on the quarantine phytosanitary condition of Russian territory in 2025.

Domestic food products enjoy steady demand, and foreign partners highly appreciate the Russian phytosanitary supervision system, which guarantees product quality and safety, Lut said. Currently, Russian agricultural products are supplied to 160 countries, with amounts consistently exceeding $40 billion.

Commenting on the results of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance's (Rosselkhoznadzor) work in phytosanitary control, Lut said that around 300 million hectares of land were surveyed and over 2,500 quarantine phytosanitary zones covering more than 6.5 million ha were eliminated in 2025.

"Since last year, unmanned aerial vehicles have been used in implementing control and supervisory measures, which improves the efficiency and quality of monitoring. In the context of constantly growing risks, the service's work remains critically important for the country's food security, as well as for the development of the agricultural sector's export potential," she said.