Potential Russian agricultural exports to S. Africa put at $300 mln

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Potential Russian agricultural exports to S. Africa put at $300 mln - Agroexport

MOSCOW. Aug 31 (Interfax) - The potential for exports of Russian agricultural products to South Africa is estimated at $300 million per year, the Agriculture Ministry's Agroexport Center said in a report.

"The key prospective items are grains, foremost wheat, vegetable oil, frozen fish and other agribusiness products. The main competitors for Russian products on the South African market will be EU countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand," the report said.

Trade in food products between Russia and South Africa fell 15.9% to $374.7 million in 2021, as Russian exports tumbled 76.6% to $28.8 million, while imports from South Africa grew by 7.3% to $345.9 million.

Russian exports to South Africa totaled 104,600 tonnes, with wheat accounting for 90.4% of exports by value, coriander seeds making up 1.8% and millet 0.9%. The 76.6% drop in Russian exports was due primarily to wheat exports falling by $88.9 million and the suspension of frozen fish exports, which reduced exports by $6.4 million. However, exports of coriander seeds rose by $0.2 million, and Russia started exporting starch ($0.2 million) and other products, the report said.

Imports from South Africa totaled 313,900 tonnes. By value, the main imports were oranges with 22.4% of the total, pears with 13.9%, lemons and limes with 12.2%, mandarins with 10.7% and apples with 9.1%.

The 7.3% growth of imports was driven primarily by figures rising 8.9% for oranges, 18.3% for mandarins, 26.2% for grape wines and 130% for plums and blackthorn. However, Russian imports of applies from South African fell 25.2%.

The director of government and public sector services at Trust Technologies, Konstantin Tikhomirov was cited in the press release as saying that for the South African market the preferred option for expanding wheat exports is to directly reach end consumers and work with major traders. A balanced option for oil and fat products could be contracting and supply raw oil directly to a local processing plant, such as one near the port of Durban.