From Buckwheat to Fish: Novosibirsk Region's Export Growth

The regional government held a meeting to discuss the export of agricultural products from the Novosibirsk Region. According to Governor Andrey Travnikov, the region is strengthening its position as one of the country«s main agricultural exporters. It is not only increasing the volume of supplies abroad but also expanding the list of countries and the range of products — from grain and oils to fish and processed products.

Exports are growing faster than planned

According to the Federal Customs Service, the Novosibirsk Region ranks first in the Siberian Federal District for the export of agricultural products and ninth in Russia.

In 2025, the region exported over 2.6 million tons of agricultural products. The plan set for the year was fulfilled by 140.5%, said Andrey Shindelov, the Minister of Agriculture of the Novosibirsk Region. In monetary terms, growth was 26.6%, and in physical volume — 18.6% compared to 2024.

What exactly the region sells

The basis of exports is grain and oilseed crops. The region produces them with a surplus: the excess exceeds 1 million tons per year. This is the volume that can be sent abroad without harming the domestic market.

The export of processed products has grown noticeably, noted Andrey Shindelov. The oil and fat industry — rapeseed and sunflower oil, meal, sauces, mayonnaises — already accounts for almost 17% of the region«s total agricultural exports. In 2025, supplies of these products increased by 2.2 times. The authorities directly link such growth to the launch of large investment projects, meaning new production facilities and jobs.

At the end of 2025, the Novosibirsk Region ranked:

1st place in Russia for the export of buckwheat and oats;

2nd place — for the export of rapeseed seeds, flaxseed oil, and ice cream;

3rd place — for the export of flax seeds, soybeans, sunflowers, and barley.

Geography expands: 53 buying countries

In 2025, Novosibirsk agricultural products were bought by 53 countries, including China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. The requests of foreign partners are becoming broader: the regional government clarified that not only grain and oils go abroad, but also fish, groceries, confectionery, beverages, meat, and dairy products.

For the region, this means diversification of the economy — less dependence on one or two goods and resilience to market fluctuations.

In 2025, the export of fish caught in the water bodies of the Novosibirsk Region grew almost threefold compared to 2023 — to 1,844 tons. In 2025, the region for the first time exported the Amur sleeper (rotan) — a fish that previously had no demand either domestically or abroad. 44 tons were sent to China. To increase catch volumes, in 2025, 74.4 million fry of valuable fish species were released into the region«s rivers and lakes: carp, common carp, peled, pike, grass carp, and others.