Russia reduced vegetable oil exports by 19% since the beginning of the year

Oilseeds

Oleoscope analysts estimate that in the first five months of 2025, oilseed exports decreased by 22% compared to the same period last year and amounted to 1.071 million tons.

In particular, in January-May 2025, the volume of sunflower seed exports decreased by 7%, which is lower than the exports for the same period in 2024 – to 120 thousand tons. More than 85% of the seeds went to the EAEU countries.

Soybean exports for the reporting period of the current year amounted to 268 thousand tons. Compared to January-May 2024, the volumes decreased by 35%. The main buyer was China (184 thousand tons).

Rapeseed exports in the first five months of 2025 decreased to 242 thousand tons (-18% compared to the same period last year). Almost the entire volume was sent to Belarus (183 thousand tons) and China (49 thousand tons).

Flax seed export volumes for the reporting period amounted to 422 thousand tons (-15% compared to the same period last year). The leaders in purchases were China (324 thousand tons) and Belgium (34 thousand tons).

Edible Oils

Vegetable oil exports continued to decline and in the first five months of 2025 amounted to 2.72 million tons, which is 19% lower compared to the same period last year.

In the first five months of 2025, sunflower oil export volumes decreased by 25% to 1.87 million tons, the share in the structure of vegetable oil exports amounted to more than 68%. The main buyers are Turkey (456 thousand tons), India (402 thousand tons).

Soybean oil exports for January-May 2025 decreased by 38% to 227 thousand tons. The leaders in soybean oil purchases are Algeria (100 thousand tons) and India (78 thousand tons).

Rapeseed oil exports for the period under review increased to 624 thousand tons (+26% compared to the same period last year). More than 88% were sent to China.

The continuing reduction in sunflower oil supplies to foreign markets is explained by a decrease in the volume of sunflower processing for export due to a long-term negative margin due to unreasonably high prices for raw materials. Earlier, the Oil and Fat Union noted that even taking into account the improvement in price dynamics and a decrease in raw material prices to the optimal level for the profitability of oil production at 36 thousand rubles per ton, the union expects the marginality of processing stock reserves at minus 16%.

According to USDA, the global sunflower harvest forecast for the 2025/26 season will exceed 56.2 million tons, an increase of 4.3 million tons compared to the previous season. At the same time, the increase is expected mainly in the Black Sea countries and the EU.

Last week, Ukrainian industry agencies reported that sunflower reserves in the country are currently at 2 million tons excluding plant coverage. This suggests that Ukrainian farmers should prepare for the fact that the price of sunflower in the new season will be lower than in the current one.

Also, recently it was reported that sunflower processing in Argentina has decreased due to the bankruptcy of the largest processor in the country, which will lead to an increase in raw material reserves.

The Oil and Fat Union notes that, taking into account all these factors, the price of sunflower seeds should seriously decrease by the end of the season, and if the harvest forecasts are confirmed, then the fall in the cost of sunflower will continue in the new season.

Meal

In the first five months of 2025, the total export of plant meals amounted to 1.65 million tons, which is 10% lower than in the reporting period last year.

The export of sunflower meal in January-May 2025 amounted to 1.1 million tons, which was 7% lower than in January-May 2024. The main buyers were Turkey (449 thousand tons) and Belarus (301 thousand tons).

The export volumes of soybean meal in the first five months of 2025 amounted to 221 thousand tons (-52% compared to the same period last year). The leaders in purchases were Belarus (76 thousand tons) and Uzbekistan (44 thousand tons).

During the period under review, 329 thousand tons of rapeseed meal were exported. This is 85% higher than the same period in 2024. The main buyers are China (221 thousand tons) and Turkey (33 thousand tons).

Margarine products

Exports of margarine products in January-May 2025 amounted to 82 thousand tons (-13% compared to the same period last year). The leaders in the purchase of margarine products were Kazakhstan (25 thousand tons) and Uzbekistan (10 thousand tons).

Mayonnaise

Exports of mayonnaise products in the first five months of 2025 amounted to 54 thousand tons (+2% compared to the same period last year). The main buyer was Kazakhstan (15 thousand tons).

Tags: Russia, sunflower oil, soybean, sunseed, rapeseed