Miller Magazine Issue: 149 May 2022

93 INTERVIEW MILLER / MAY 2022 and export them to other countries in need. According to the Agroexport subsidiary of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, Russian agri exports reached $37.1 billion in 2021, which is 21% more than in 2020. We have supplied over 71 million tons of food and agricultural products to over 160 importing countries. It is a remarkable fact that Turkey became the 2021 champion in food imports, increasing purchases by 38% to $4.3 billion. CHANGE FROM THE SUPPLY OF GRAIN TO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS Speaking about Russian agri exports, one must under- stand that its priorities have changed from the supply of grain and other commodities to value-added products. This explains the growth in export earnings, despite the current restrictions on the export of soft commodities through quo- tas and export taxes. Of course, we will remain on the world grain market, but our export volumes are unlikely to grow significantly, despite excellent forecasts for the 2022 har- vest, which the Ministry of Agriculture estimates at 123 mil- lion tons. The state will continue quotas for agri commodities exports, creating an excess of grain in the domestic market and stimulating its local processing. There are no prereq- uisites for lifting restrictions on the export of grain or other agro commodities, no matter how much we would like to. How did sanctions affect Russian grain exports? Despite the humanitarian nature of grain supplies and their formal exclusion from the sanctions perimeter, we certainly felt their impact due to the extended interpre- tation. This is especially evident in financial services – insurance and payments. We have to change on the go the patterns of interaction with our consumers that have been developed over the years. Russian exporters are doing everything possible to fulfill their contractual ob- ligations and supply countries in need of our grain. We keep abreast of problems and solve them through the joint efforts of the market community. We understand that there is simply no real replacement for Russian grain on the world market, despite the loud statements of some countries. We do not plan to stop exporting, despite to- day's difficulties. World prices for Russian wheat are going down. Is it connected with geopolitical risks? Many of our traditional consumers have taken a break to rethink the situation and reconfigure the procurement mechanisms in the global market. We consider this as ra- tional behavior and are ready for a constructive dialogue for the benefit of our customers.