Yakov and Partners - In the media

Dmitry Plotnikov, a Partner at Yakov and Partners, notes that the Russian wine industry has found itself in a unique situation. The government is providing unprecedented support to the industry amidst external restrictions. Financial indicators also confirm that the industry is going strong. However, successful development of the industry requires solving several major problems, i. e. establishing product evaluation institutions, starting regulating online trade, and devising mechanisms for attracting investments

In some areas Russian solutions could even be among the global leaders. Developing unmanned technologies offers huge potential. A window of opportunity is now opening for Russian manufacturers due to increased demand for a whole range of technologies, including high-performance chips, video cameras, and 4D imaging radars capable of detecting objects at a distance of 300 meters at any speed and in any weather, says Fedor Chemashkin

Ten years after the implementation of the food ban, Russia has successfully met the needs of its citizens for food. “It is rather difficult to assess the impact of restrictive measures on food inflation, as a meaningful part of the cost of agricultural produce is still pegged to the dollar, including genetic material, fine chemicals used in the food and feed industry, machinery, and equipment,” explains Alexey Kletsko, a director at Yakov and Partners

In 2023, the volume of grain trading on the National Mercantile Exchange doubled year-on-year to reach RUB 31 bn. Alexey Kletsko, a director at Yakov and Partners, expects this year’s trading volumes to match those of 2023. According to his data, in the first five months of 2024 the figure climbed to RUB 11 bn

Annual agricultural exports are expected to grow to USD 55 billion over the next five years, which obviously requires updating the Doctrine of Food Security of the Russian Federation, says Alexey Kletsko, a Yakov and Partners Director. It would be reasonable to expect agriculture development goals to be appropriately reworded in terms of increasing the investment attractiveness of the sector and the welfare of society, factoring in an adequate view of economic realities

Agricultural producers from the Rostov region held a round table to discuss the most promising areas for industry development in the region on the back of the difficult 2024 year, rising costs, and declining profits. Stanislav Vetoshkin, a Project Manager at Yakov and Partners, emphasizes the importance of working out a set of measures to buoy the agro-industrial complex, boost exports and develop national champions

The role of the EU in Russian agriculture exports is decreasing. In 2023, EU countries accounted for as little as 6% of those exports vs. more than 12% earlier, says Alexey Kletsko, a director at Yakov and Partners. In 2023, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany were the main recipients of Russian agricultural exports to the European Union. The value of these exports to each country exceeded 300 million euros

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Reinstatement of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is an important first step in easing geopolitical tensions under the umbrella of global food security, believes Alexey Kletsko of Yakov and Partners. Global food prices rose in February-March of 2022 and remain high, primarily due to increased operational costs and supply chain disruptions

According to Yakov and Partners estimates, annual domestic consumption of crop protection agents (CPA) went up 60% between 2017 and 2023. The industry grew primarily through construction of new facilities and expansion of the product range. Stanislav Vetoshkin, a Project Manager at Yakov and Partners, notes that further market growth is to be expected

Alexey Kletsko notes that the profitability of grain crops may decrease in the coming season due to the poor condition of crops and the rising cost of the means of production. Maintaining the budget support of the agro-industrial complex in 2025 at RUB 560 billion will be a challenge amid the growth of withdrawals from the industry, such as RUB 134 billion in 2024 and RUB 187 billion in 2025 in the form of duty on grain exports, as well as about RUB 50 billion in the form of export duty on oilseeds and associated processed products

Early in the 2024/2025 season, export prices have been heavily impacted by limited demand from buyers, says Alexey Kletsko, a director at Yakov and Partners. He believes Turkey's suspension of imports until mid-October slashed shipments of Russian wheat in July and August by 10% to 15% year-on-year. "Other buyers, in an attempt to reduce prices, are not entering into large-scale contracts," Kletsko explained

Last season, Russia extended the geography of agricultural exports, gaining a foothold in new grain markets, says Alexey Kletsko, a director at Yakov and Partners. China made it to the top 5 importers of Russian grain legumes after almost doubling its buying, along with Mexico and Brazil, while supplies to Indonesia increased by a factor of 10

Given the export restrictions imposed until the end of August, producers will be able to export 1 mn tonnes of products, yet it would be better to export 1.2 mn tonnes to keep processing profitable. Such are the estimates presented by Stanislav Vetoshkin, an Engagement Manager at Yakov and Partners. Another challenge for the industry is the 97% reliance on imported seeds, notes Vetoshkin

According to the estimates presented by a Yakov and Partners expert Stanislav Vetoshkin, “The list of the top five exporters did not change in the first half of the 2023/2024 season compared to the 2022/2023 season and includes Grain Gates, Rif Trading House, Aston, OZK Group, and MZK Export (former division of Viterra, a global trader). Their collective share exceeds 50% of grain exports

To secure its sovereignty and a sustainable foothold in the Arctic, Russia must ramp up investments in the region, enhancing social, medical, and educational infrastructure. The country also needs to increase funding and support for research and development in the Arctic zone, according to Dmitry Plotnikov, a partner at Yakov and Partners.

This year marks the launch of Russia’s Technological Support for Food Security national project. Alexey Kletsko, a Director at Yakov and Partners and Head of its Agriculture Practice, says that the goals of the national project have to be aligned with one another, based on economic realities, and supported by appropriate tools to be feasible

Demetra-Holding has acquired 25% of Astrol Shipping Company, whose fleet consists of ten RSD59 bulk carriers for transportation of grain and other agro-industrial products. Yakov and Partners Director Alexey Kletsko called this deal a logical step for building a vertically integrated grain trader that combines export logistics and grain trading assets