Russia mulls the easing of GMO soy ban for feed exports
The Russian government is considering allowing partial imports of genetically modified (GM) soybeans for the production of feed intended for export.
Under the Russian food security doctrine adopted in 2020, Russia banned imports of GM crops for their production, breeding and turnover.
However, imports of GMO products were allowed for several soybean varieties approved by the Russian veterinary watchdog Rosselhoznadzor under a special government waiver extended each year.
Between 2020 and 2024, Russia imported, on average, between 400,000 and 500,000 tonnes of GMO soybeans per year, primarily for use in feed production, according to Dmitry Rylko, General Director of the Russian Institute for Agricultural Market Studies.
However, as the waiver for GMO imports was not extended by the Russian government at the end of 2024, imports were halted from the beginning of 2025.
Focus on feed exports
The new regulation aims to soften the ban without jeopardising domestic food security.
The Russian Agricultural Ministry, which proposed the new rules, suggests that imported GM crops should not be subjected to mandatory state registration and government restrictions if they are planned for use in the production of feed with its consequent exports.
According to the Ministry, the initiative will help increase the capacity utilisation ratio of the Russian soybean processing industry and boost the value of Russian agricultural exports.
The soybeans grown in the Kaliningrad Region can load these capacities by only 5%,”
Russia’s soybean processing industry faces supply gap
The lack of opportunity to import GM soybeans has a negative impact on the capacity utilisation of Russian processors, the Ministry admitted in the explanatory note to the draft regulation. The Ministry also emphasised that the initiative primarily concerns 2 soybean processing plants in the Kaliningrad region operated by the Sodruzhestvo Group, a prominent agricultural company.
“Russia still has soybean processing capacities that are dependent on imported raw materials,” the Ministry noted. “The total capacity of soybean processing plants operating in the Kaliningrad Region exceeds 2 million tonnes of soybeans per year. The soybeans grown in the Kaliningrad Region can load these capacities by only 5%,” the Ministry estimated.
Russia eye’s expansion of animal feed exports
The initiative is in line with Russian efforts to expand exports of agricultural products, the Ministry added.
Under the Russian government plan, agricultural exports are projected to jump by 50% compared with 2024 to $55.2 billion by 2030.
However, this is the first time the Russian government publicly declared its intention to develop exports of animal feed. According to Agroexport, the government agency facilitating exports, the authorities expect to primarily ramp up exports of grain, oil, meat, and dairy products in the coming years.
