Русский
Russia’s Agroexport Center has said that Russian pasta manufacturers exported nearly U$150 million of pasta in 11M 2024, up 31% year-on-year, with shipments amounting to approximately 115,000 tonnes in physical terms. Russian food producers have turned to manufacturing pasta as imported supplies from Italy, as part of the EU, have dried up due to sanctions. Now Russia’s pasta manufacturers are moving to exporting their own production.
Key export destinations have traditionally included the CIS countries, which accounted for more than 90% of shipments by value. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were the leading importers. Pasta exports to Belarus exceeded US$41 million, up 26%. Exports to Kazakhstan grew 38%, reaching nearly US$40 million, while shipments to Uzbekistan rose 2.4-fold to US$16 million.
Russian pasta exports to non-CIS countries are also expanding. Exports to China increased 33%, Mongolia 35%, Saudi Arabia 69% and the UAE 2.3-fold. An initial batch of 20 tonnes of pasta, worth US$1.2 million, were shipped to India as a test in November.
According to the Agroexport Center, Russian pasta exports could reach nearly US$250 million by 2030. Promising markets include both traditional buyers and new regions with anticipated growth in pasta consumption, such as Asian, Middle Eastern and African countries.
Pasta is made from derivatives of wheat, with Russia the world’s third largest producer after China and India. However, both those markets tend to domestically consume their own production, leaving Russia free to service both its internal demand and develop an export industry. Global supply chains involving European production have been severely disrupted by both sanctions and problems in the Red Sea, with Russian supply chains reacting fast to take advantage.
One of the active Russian pasta exporters is Makfa, which significantly increased its shipments to non-CIS countries over the past year. Nikita Ivantsov, head of the strategic development division at Makfa, stated that “The biggest growth in exports was seen in the non-CIS countries. Over the past 11 months, this showed a 40% increase in volume.”
In 2024, Makfa finalized agreements and began supplying its products to seven new countries, including Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Ghana, Oman and Thailand. Ivantsov said “We plan to grow exports in these areas. We also aim to strengthen our presence in BRICS countries and their associated markets.”
Igor Tsarakov, the export director at Mareven Food Central, whose brands include Rollton, Bigbon, Petra and others, exported more than 5,800 tonnes of pasta worth more than ₽1.6 billion rubles (US$15 million) in 2024. Export revenue increased 14% compared to 2023. Tsarakov said that “Current exports go to Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Abkhazia and Mongolia. New markets as of January 2025 include the U.S. and Israel, with signed supply contracts. Prospective destinations for the first half of next year include China, Iraq and the UAE.”
Further Reading
Russia Could Become India’s Largest Wheat Supplier in 2024/25
