We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry. current time
Russian oilseed crushing plants encounter fear of shutdown caused by meal export problems
Oilseed crushing plants in southern Russia could be forced to suspend operations as weak marketing prospects for sunflower meal create mounting logistical and financial pressures. Authorities in the Rostov have warned that prolonged restrictions on maritime navigation could leave processors with limited outlets for meal, while rail shipments remain commercially unattractive due to high transportation costs.
Black Sea and Azov Sea export restrictions are forcing cargoes to be redirected toward northern, central and Far Eastern destinations. The longer routes are driving up freight and logistics expenses, weakening the competitiveness of Russian sunflower meal in export markets.
Russia’s sunflower processing industry is coming under increasing pressure as weak export flows collide with a large 2026 crop. OleoScope estimates September exports at just 32,000 tonnes of sunflower meal and around 110,000 tonnes of sunflower oil, significantly below typical monthly volumes.
The supply overhang could deepen as domestic production remains high. Russia is expected to harvest around 20.7 million tonnes of sunflower seed in 2026, excluding occupied territories, while crushing capacity may process no more than 16 million tonnes. This could leave more than 5 million tonnes of seed in carryover stocks.
The export bottleneck is also weighing on domestic prices. In Russia’s Southern Federal District, sunflower seed prices fell by more than half from late July to mid-September, while sunflower meal values also registered a steep decline.
Unless maritime export routes resume, the combination of limited market access, rising stocks and weaker prices could force sunflower crushers to further reduce operating rates.
