Russia expands agricultural sales across Africa as exports rise 35%
Russia increased its agricultural exports to Africa sharply in the first half of 2026, with wheat accounting for more than 90% of shipments to the continent.
AFRICA – Russian agricultural exports to Africa reached US$2.9 billion in the first six months of 2026, marking a 35% increase in value from the same period last year.
Export volumes also rose by 40% to more than 11 million tonnes, according to figures reported by TV BRICS.
Wheat remained the main product in Russia’s trade with African markets. Russian suppliers shipped about 10.2 million tonnes of wheat during the period, accounting for more than 90% of total agricultural volumes sent to the continent.
Other products also recorded significant shipments. Russia exported about 234,000 tonnes of barley, more than 158,000 tonnes of soybean oil and over 95,000 tonnes of sunflower meal and other meals.
Egypt remained Russia’s largest African market, taking 44% of total export volumes. Shipments to Egypt reached 4.9 million tonnes, up from 3.8 million tonnes a year earlier. Sudan ranked second, while Kenya accounted for about 10% of Russian agricultural exports to Africa. Russian deliveries to Kenya increased 9.5 times compared with the previous year.
Russia has also expanded its wider food trade with Africa in recent years. Agroexport data shows that Russian agri-food exports to the continent exceeded US$7 billion in 2024, representing a 19% year-on-year increase.
North Africa remains a major market for Russian wheat. Data from the US Department of Agriculture shows that countries from the former Soviet Union supplied 13.5 million tonnes of wheat to North African markets during the 2024/2025 marketing year.
That volume represented more than 40% of total wheat imports in the region, compared with 25% from European Union countries.
Competitive prices and Russia’s ability to supply large and regular volumes have helped it maintain a strong position in major importing markets such as Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.
Russia is also seeking greater access to Africa’s growing animal protein market. Its poultry meat exports to Africa passed US$50 million in 2025, with sales reaching countries including Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mozambique and Guinea.
The latest figures show that Russia continues to expand its role in Africa’s food supply, with cereals leading trade while poultry and other food products open additional markets.
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