Russia in 2023 has increased the production of herbicides

According to the analytical agency Feedlot, the volume of herbicide production in Russia over the past six years has doubled and reached about 123 thousand tons. It’s worth noting the growth of production indicators in the 1Q2023 by 6% compared to the same period in 2022.

The key producers of herbicides are the enterprises of the Southern Federal District, which, by the end of 2022, provided 50% of the total production volume. The Volga Federal District accounts for 33%, and the Central – 16%.

Most companies increase production volumes and differentiate product lines. The top 3 major herbicide manufacturers include companies such as Avgust, Schelkovo Agrohim, and Avgust-Alabuga. They supply chemical plant protection products to both domestic and foreign markets.

Capacities are growing due to the annually increasing demand for plant protection products – both from large agricultural enterprises and personal subsidiary farms, as the crop, fruit and vegetable growing segments develop. Despite the growth in indicators, at the end of 2022, Russia remains an import-dependent country for herbicides – the volume of imported products on the local market is about 40%.

Imports of herbicides in 2022 increased by 39% compared to the previous year and exceeded 50 thousand tons. For 2017–2022, the decrease was about 20% in natural terms. The main suppliers are China and Belarus. Over the past six years, China has occupied a leading position – it accounts for more than 50%, while the Republic of Belarus – an average of 14% of supplies from abroad.

At the same time, the export of chemical plant protection products from Russia demonstrates high growth rates – it has grown by 55% in six years. The main deliveries go to Kazakhstan and Belarus.