MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. Russia to this day retains the status of a net food exporter despite all attempts of unfriendly actions, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said.
"In 2020, Russia has already become a net exporter of food. That is, we began to sell more products for export than we buy ourselves. Despite all attempts of unfriendly actions, the country retains this status to this day," he said.
The deputy prime minister emphasized that the whole world knows that Russian products are guaranteed to be of high quality and excellent taste. He also noted that Russia is a world leader in some areas. For example, every fourth batch of wheat sold on the world market is Russian.
In 2023, the volume of deliveries of Russian agricultural products to foreign markets amounted to $43.5 bln. In total, more than 100 mln tons of food products were exported.
Patrushev also added that grain harvest in Russia in 2024 in the amount of 130 mln tons will ensure the country's food security and allow meeting export targets. "Taking into account the development of the industry, despite these force majeure circumstances, we will still receive our 130 mln tons of grain, which will guarantee food security and allow us to meet our export targets," Patrushev said.
The deputy prime minister recalled that in 2022, a historic grain harvest of 157 mln tons was obtained, in 2023, in addition to significant harvests, 16.5 mln tons of meat was produced, which had never happened before. "In general, the path that agriculture has taken has made it a modern, developed industry that shows growth even when force majeures happen. This includes bad weather, disease outbreaks, and other unforeseen situations," he emphasized.