Federal ministry upholds unrealistic export targets for Rostov region

Russia's Agriculture Ministry has refused to adjust inflated export targets for the Rostov region and has even raised them for the coming year. The region's government says it missed last year's $7.1 billion goal by a wide margin.

Feb 8, 2026

Multiple objective factors contributed to the decline in grain exports from the region.
Source:
Government of the Rostov Region

Russia«s Ministry of Agriculture has rejected a request from the Rostov region to revise planned export volumes for agricultural products. This was announced by the region»s Agriculture Minister, Anna Kasyanenko, at a meeting of the regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

According to the federal plan, the Rostov region was supposed to export $7.1 billion worth of products in 2025. However, actual foreign sales, based on operational data, reached only $5.2 billion.

The main reason for the plan«s failure was the collapse of grain exports, the region»s key commodity. The decline was caused by a combination of objective factors:

a poor harvest in 2025;
a strengthening ruble;
low carryover stocks from the previous year;
increased logistics costs;
instability on sea routes;
the effect of federal export duties;
the exit of a number of companies from the market.

«Moreover, prevailing world prices in ruble terms are almost 30% lower than last year»s level,« Kasyanenko added.

The inevitable failure of the plan was already known in September 2025. At that time, Deputy Minister Olga Gorbaneva stated that the region had officially appealed to the federal authorities with a request for adjustment and that «Moscow understands everything.» However, in the end, no action was taken.

«The Rostov Region Ministry of Agriculture repeatedly sent letters to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture requesting an adjustment of the export target. No positive decision on this issue was made last year,» stated Anna Kasyanenko.

The region is now trying to secure a reduction in the plan for 2026, but so far without success. Moreover, the target has even been raised to $7.6 billion. «We are negotiating to adjust the plan, but for now it has been increased to $7.6 billion,» the minister noted.

Separately, Governor Yuri Slyusar has instructed officials to work at the federal level on support for farmers who suffered from frosts and droughts in 2025. They were promised loan restructuring, but obtaining it has proven extremely difficult due to rules established by the federal authorities.