Altai Territory increases pea exports 4.5-fold in 2023, starts regular shipments to China

BARNAUL. Jan 19 (Interfax) - Farmers in the Altai Territory exported 138,700 tonnes of peas in 2023, which is 4.5 times more than in 2022, the press service of the Altai branch of the Center for Grain Quality Assessment (part of Rosselkhoznadzor) said.

At the end of last year, the largest importer of Altai peas was China, which purchased more than 117,000 tonnes.

There were no regular pea shipments in previous years from Altai Territory to China; shipments were sporadic, the press service told Interfax.

In addition, in 2023, the region exported peas to Kazakhstan (10,200 tonnes, a decrease of 3.7% YoY), Tajikistan (367 tonnes, a 5.4-fold increase YoY), and Serbia (160 tonnes, a 3.6-fold increase).

The press service said that last year, countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, the U.S., Taiwan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan showed interest in Altai Territory peas, which was not the case in 2022.

The gross pea harvest in Altai Territory in 2023 reached 195,500 tonnes, 27.6% less than the previous year. At the same time, quality indicators have increased. After an evaluation of 96% of the crop, 53.5% met first-class standards, and 34.5% second-class, while in 2022, 75% of the crop was evaluated, with only 31.5% meeting first-class standards, and 57% second-class.