Miller Magazine Issue: 145 January 2022

75 INTERVIEW MILLER / january 2022 the Russian export duties, there were some other import- ant factors, such as Canadian drought, etc. but our duties played an important role, too. It all happens against the background of lower 2021 do- mestic wheat crop - 75.9 mmt in comparison with almost 86 mmt last season. As the result, our market shares on two key export markets - Egypt and Turkey - drop quite significantly. Meanwhile, Iran has become the biggest im- porter. Russia also significantly increased its sales to two very attractive and lucrative markets - S.Arabia and Algeria. Do you expect Russia to modify its floating tax system for grain exports? When do you think Russia will lift the export tax? In foreseeble future Russia will keep the floating tax sys- tem as a key to against the domestic grain inflation, if we like it or not. Russia will introduce a wheat export quota. Do you think wheat prices would increase further with this de- cision? All grains export quota has been deployed in the sec- ond half of previous and current seasons. The novelty of this season is wheat quota inside the general grains quo- ta. However 8 mmt what quota basically coincides with the market expectations, so it was taken by the world market quite calmly. At the Turkish Grain Conference in Antalya, you said that Russia would not be an important flour exporter. Why do you think so? First, flour export is not able to substitute wheat export in general: For decades, flour represents 10-12% of all world wheat trade. Second, Russia does not have some those ad- vantages as Turkey on the flour export markets. However, having said so, if wheat export is restricted for a prolonged period, of course Russia will become more significant flour exporter, no doubt. Even in the second half of this season we expect an acceleration of our flour export.