Number of countries buying Russian wheat drops from 43 to 16

According to Elena Tyurina, director of the analytical department of the Russian Grain Union (RZS), there were 43 countries buying Russian wheat in August 2025, but by the last summer month of this year (August 2026) that number had fallen to 16. In the same period, Russia exported 1.7 million tons of grain, of which 1.3 million tons were wheat. Total grain and legume exports fell 3.5-fold, wheat exports 3.8-fold, and barley deliveries dropped threefold.

Egypt was the leading buyer with 450 thousand tons (a 2.2-fold decline), Bangladesh with 160.6 thousand tons (1.7-fold decline), and Saudi Arabia with 115 thousand tons. Nigeria followed with 52 thousand tons (fourfold decrease), and Israel with 41.5 thousand tons (15.5-fold decrease). New export markets emerged: Venezuela (84 thousand tons), Indonesia (66 thousand tons), and Iran (26.5 thousand tons). Exports to Sri Lanka increased 1.7-fold to 77 thousand tons, while exports to Yemen grew 8.5% to 53.7 thousand tons.

According to earlier data, in the first 20 days of August 2026, total grain shipments fell 2.5-fold compared to the same period in 2025, wheat shipments fell 2.6-fold (slightly over 1 million tons), and barley shipments fell 2.9-fold (to 168 thousand tons).