Russia ships 13 mln tonnes of grain to Africa in 9M 2026 - Ushakov

MOSCOW. Oct 26 (Interfax) - Russia exported 13 million tonnes of grain to African countries in 9M 2026.

"We sent over 18 million tonnes of grain to Africa in 2025 and another 13 million tonnes in the first nine months of the year," Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told reporters ahead of the Russia-Africa forum.

As reported, African nations have recently become major buyers of Russian grain, primarily wheat. According to the United Grain Company (UGC) a leading exporter of Russian grain, domestic wheat is currently supplied to more than 40 African countries, accounting for one-third of the African market for the commodity.

In addition to Egypt, which has long been a major buyer, other countries are also increasing imports. For instance, according to the Russian Grain Union, grain exports to Sudan grew 1.8-fold to 1.9 million tonnes in the last agricultural season. Shipments to Kenya rose 20% to 1.6 million tonnes.

The Agriculture Ministry's Agroexport center estimates that the potential for Russian exports of grain and leguminous crops to Africa could reach nearly $6 billion by 2030. These exports totaled $4.4 billion in 2025.