Altai Territory increases buckwheat exports to China sixfold in 2023

BARNAUL. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Altai Territory's farmers exported 59,100 tonnes of buckwheat in 2023, the press service of the Altai branch of Rosselkhoznadzor's Center for Grain Quality Assessment said.

Altai Territory exported 29,600 tonnes of buckwheat to foreign markets in 2022. Export volumes almost doubled in 2023. At the same time, export volumes of Altai buckwheat to China increased sixfold from 7,800 tonnes in 2022 to 47,100 tons in 2023, the release said.

The release notes that in 2023, farmers in Siberia's regions threshed 978,000 tonnes of buckwheat, and that the Altai Territory is the leading producer of buckwheat in Russia, having harvested 929,000 tonnes, or 62.8% of the country's total crop harvest.

Over 70% of threshed Siberian buckwheat has passed through quality control procedures. Of this amount, 44.4% is certified first class (versus 28% the previous year), 29.6% second class (42% prior year), and 26.1% is third class (versus 30% in 2022).

Chinese customs data show that imports of buckwheat to China from Russia over the first 11 months of 2023 increased 7.1-fold to 100,700 tonnes. In monetary terms, the value of the buckwheat exported to China increased 5.8-fold to $45.45 million.