Russia has doubled the herbicides production over the past six years

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 1Q2023 by 6% compared to the same period in 2022. The data was provided in a study by the analytical agency Feedlot.

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, which supply plant protection products to both Russian and global 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 this 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. According to the report from Feedlot agency, the main suppliers are China and Belarus. Over the past six years, China has occupied a leading position – it accounts for over 50% and Belarus – an average of 14%.

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