Official reports indicate that rice production in Russia in 2024 has surpassed 1.2 million tonnes, 17% more than in 2023.
According to a preliminary update by the Agriculture Ministry, the rise in production matched planted area expansion at 207,000 hectares.
Leading sources include the southern province of Krasnodar, which reaped some 829,000 tonnes or three-quarters of the total.
Other leading production regions include the Chechen and Dagestan Republics as well as the Primorsky and Rostov territories.
Following this record harvest, ministry’s officials projected future production to touch 2 million tonnes by 2030 thanks to stabilization efforts.
The stability partially owes to seven decades of breeding distinct varieties of rice from “Rapan” to “Osman,” alongside brown rice.
Rice Export Moratorium
Speaking of stabilization, the current focus is to keep rice within Russia and allow exports only in the Eurasian Economic Union bloc.
Since June 2024, Russia has been maintaining a six-month ban on rice exports other than to the above single market. On December 24, 2024, the state extended the ban for another half-year to June 2025 to stabilize local reserves. This way, the country maintains some of the cheapest local prices of rice in Europe.
The ban covers not only grain rice but rice products but excludes seeds as well as humanitarian food aid.
Rice utility in Russia determines the export capacity and in part depends on the production trends of other legumes. In 2024, utility could rise after a decrease in the legume harvest to 124.96 million tonnes, 13% less than in 2023.
Key legumes other than rice (sometimes under grain classification) include lentils, peas, beans, lupine and chickpeas.
Beans in particular complement rice dishes, alongside the popular “borcht,” a traditional soup that goes with prunes.
Rice is a popular diet in Russia, with the country ranking 43rd among 164 nations, according to the Helgi Library.
This is why the current record rice production in Russia has come into focus as an indicator of food sufficiency. To learn more about the production, consumption and trade trends on rice in the eastern European nation, skim the statistics below.
Russia Rice Statistics
Rice is the world’s fourth most consumed grain, and it doubles as a key food in many nations, including Russia. Russia’s production at roughly 1.2 million tonnes (2024) is moderate versus leader China’s 208.5 million tonnes (2022). It is nevertheless a self-sufficient output. Indeed, the country is not a top importer of the grain unlike China, which not only produces the most but nearly tops imports.
Is Russia a major rice exporter?
Though a major grower, Russia is not a leading exporter of rice. In the 2023-23 season, Russia exported $22.046 million worth, to rank 41st overall while India topped exports at $10.5 billion.
Which are the annual rice production patterns in Russia?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Russia consistently produces around 1 million tonnes of rice per year. Between 2014 and 2024, the poorest seasons were the 2017-18 and 2022-23 ones at 988,000 and 917,000 tonnes of rough rice, respectively. The 2015-15 and 2024-25 seasons on the other hand topped the decade’s production at 1.111 million tonnes and 1.185 million tonnes, respectively.
What is the average annual rice consumption total in Russia?
The yearly rice consumption total in Russia hovers between 1.194 million tonnes (2021) and 1.241 million tonnes (2016). However, there have been years with totals way below this average, such as 1994 when consumption hit rock bottom at 260,000 tonnes. Comparatively, the above figures put Russia at position 43 among leading rice-consuming nations.