- First exports to China: Kemerovo Oblast shipped 350 tons of rapeseed oil to China in 2025, opening a new export channel.
- Major processing expansion: Rusagro’s new Kuzbass plant is set to process ~1 million tons of rapeseed annually by 2027, yielding 600–700 thousand tons of oil.
- Production growth target: Regional authorities plan to increase rapeseed output by 40% (1.4x) by 2030 to supply expanding crush capacity.
- Export diversification: First-time wheat exports to Vietnam and broader flour exports underscore wider agri-export growth.
- Market impact: Neutral to bullish for Black Sea rapeseeds as more volume may be redirected to domestic crush for Asian land-route exports.
Kemerovo Rapeseed Oil Export Breakthrough
Kemerovo Oblast has launched its first-ever rapeseed oil exports to China, with 350 tons shipped in 2025. Governor Ilya Seredyuk confirmed that this inaugural shipment marks the region’s entry into the Chinese vegetable oil market, leveraging growing demand in Asia.
The export milestone coincides with large-scale investment in regional processing capacity. Rusagro is building a rapeseed crushing facility in Kuzbass with a capital outlay of 21 billion rubles as of summer 2024. The plant is scheduled for commissioning in 2027 and is designed to process around 1 million tons of rapeseed per year, producing an estimated 600–700 thousand tons of oil annually.
Production Targets and Export Diversification
To feed this new capacity, Kemerovo Oblast aims to increase rapeseed production by roughly 40% by 2030. This planned expansion reflects a broader shift toward oilseed cultivation and value-added processing in Russia’s eastern regions.
In 2025, the region also diversified its grain export portfolio. It shipped wheat to Vietnam for the first time, totaling 1,191 tons, and expanded flour exports to seven countries, adding new destinations such as the UAE and Thailand. Currently, 51 enterprises in the region are certified to export grain to China, underlining Kemerovo’s growing role in cross-border agri-trade.
Key Volumes and Investment Overview
| Indicator | Value | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Rapeseed oil export to China (first shipment) | 350 tons | 2025 |
| Rusagro plant processing capacity | ~1,000,000 tons rapeseed/year | From 2027 (planned) |
| Expected rapeseed oil output | 600,000–700,000 tons oil/year | From 2027 (planned) |
| Capital investment in plant | 21 billion rubles | As of summer 2024 |
| Target increase in rapeseed production | +40% (1.4x) | By 2030 |
| First-time wheat exports to Vietnam | 1,191 tons | 2025 |
| Enterprises certified for grain exports to China | 51 enterprises | Current |
Market Impact: Neutral to Bullish for Black Sea Rapeseeds
The commissioning of a major rapeseed crushing hub in Kemerovo, outside the traditional Black Sea zone, signals a strategic reorientation of Russian rapeseed flows toward domestic processing and overland exports to Asia. As more seed is diverted to plants serving China via rail and land corridors, less volume may be available for export through Black Sea ports, tightening supply for maritime markets.
This shift is broadly neutral to bullish for Black Sea rapeseed fundamentals. It reinforces the narrative of rising Chinese demand for vegetable oils and highlights Russia’s intent to capture additional market share by integrating upstream production with regional processing and logistics infrastructure in its eastern territories.
Source: Market Data
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