Russia remains reliable global food supplier despite sanctions

Russia’s exports of agricultural produce increased last year despite Western trade barriers, President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday. During a meeting with the country’s agriculture minister, Putin stated that Russia had enjoyed its largest-ever grain harvest in the previous crop year, of almost 158 million tons. In the current agricultural year, which ends on June 30, the country is expecting to export up to 60 million tons of grain, the president added. According to estimates by the Agriculture Ministry, Russia had already exported 40 million tons of grain as of March. In the last farming year, overall grain exports stood at just over 38 million tons. “As before, our country is one of the key suppliers of agricultural products in the world, and we have established ourselves as a reliable, predictable partner,” Putin noted.