World meat industry news

The interest of the Gulf countries in Russian products is growing. This was announced to the media by the head of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Patrushev, who commented on Russia’s participation in the annual international exhibition of food, beverages and culinary arts in the Gulfood region.

According to Dmitry Patrushev, Russia has long been successfully developing cooperation in the agricultural sector with the countries of the Middle East region and is interested in further expanding trade. This interest is mutual, and domestic products are in great demand in Arab states.

“I would like to note that the volume of bilateral food trade with the Gulf countries exceeded $1.6 billion last year, having increased 1.7 times over the past five years. Russia is systematically increasing supplies of grain, vegetable oils, confectionery, meat, dairy and other types of products. In addition, our halal products are becoming increasingly popular in the Middle East, the production of which has been growing in recent years,” said the head of the ministry.

Saudi Arabia remains the key importer of Russian food in the Middle East. Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar are actively increasing their purchases. Exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also demonstrate good dynamics. Last year, this country significantly increased imports of Russian grain, including wheat by 2.7 times to about $180 million. Supplies of high added value products, such as sunflower oil, also increased by 2.2 times to $6.7 million. The export of meat and dairy products, soft drinks and various finished products has great potential, the Ministry of Agriculture specified.

As Dmitry Patrushev noted, Russia will continue to strengthen relations with the UAE and other countries in the region, remaining a reliable supplier of quality food.