Russia boosts wheat exports to the Middle East

Russia significantly increased its wheat exports to Middle Eastern countries in the 2025/26 marketing year. According to the Rusagrotrans analytical center, the region’s share in total Russian wheat exports for July–February rose to 37%, up from 28% a year earlier. The growth was mainly driven by higher shipments to Turkey, Iran, and Israel.

Analysts attribute this trend to the logistical proximity of Middle Eastern markets, which reduces competition from other global exporters. Meanwhile, Africa’s share in the export structure declined slightly: North Africa accounted for 32%, down from 36% last season, amid reduced shipments to Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. Despite this, Russia set a record for grain exports to Sudan at 1.4 million tonnes.

The share of South Asia also decreased from 8% to 6% due to stronger competition from Argentina, Brazil, and the EU. In total, Russia exported 32.7 million tonnes of wheat in the first eight months of the season. Global wheat trade in 2025/26 is expected to reach 206.3 million tonnes, supported by strong harvests in key producing countries.

Tags: Iran, Russia, Turkey, export, wheat, Israel