Barley rightfully holds one of the key positions in Russian agricultural exports. As one of the most widely consumed grain crops in the world, it has shown impressive growth on international markets in recent years. In 2024, Russia became the world’s largest barley exporter for the first time, overtaking Australia and the European Union. Given rising global demand and Russia’s strong domestic production capacity, the Russian barley market offers strategic opportunities for exporters, importers, and foreign investors.
Global Barley Market: Scale and Key Figures
Global barley production amounts to approximately 140–155 million tons per year. Around one third of this volume is exported by producing countries. The main buyers are countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region, where barley is in demand both as feed grain and as raw material for brewing.
In the 2023/2024 season, total global grain trade exceeded 507 million tons. Russia accounted for around 27% of the global barley market — more than any other supplier.
Russia Among the World’s Top Three Barley Exporters
In the 2023/2024 season, Russian barley exports reached a record 9.46 million tons, up 67% from the previous year.
Russia’s structural advantages are clear. Barley acreage totals around 7–8 million hectares annually, one of the largest figures in the world. Barley cultivation in Russia covers domestic demand while also creating strong export potential. At the same time, Russian barley is generally cheaper than Australian and Canadian barley.
The 2024/2025 agricultural year was difficult: poor harvests and reduced acreage led to a decline in exports to 3.6–4.6 million tons — the sharpest drop among grain crops. The 2024 harvest amounted to 16.7 million tons, compared with 21.1 million tons a year earlier.
However, 2025 already showed signs of recovery. According to final data from Rosstat, Russia’s barley harvest reached 19.7 million tons, up 18%. By the end of 2025, Russia exported around 5 million tons and ranked third in the world, as reported by Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut in January 2026.
Russian Barley Price Dynamics, 2015–2025
Over the past 10 years, barley prices in rubles have roughly doubled — from about 8,600 rubles per ton in 2015 to around 17,500 rubles per ton in 2025. However, the price trend has been highly uneven.
The main price spikes occurred during currency-sensitive periods, especially in 2022, when domestic prices rose sharply due to the rapid weakening of the ruble, as well as local factors driving demand for feed grain.
The widest price differences are traditionally observed between spring and autumn. After the harvest, prices usually decline. For long-term contracts, it is important to consider not only annual average prices but also seasonal dynamics.
2025 | █████████████████████████████████████ (17,500 ₽)
2024 | ██████████████████████████████████ (16,500 ₽)
2023 | █████████████████████ (10,500 ₽)
2022 | █████████████████████████████ (14,500 ₽)
2021 | ██████████████████████████ (13,400 ₽)
2020 | ███████████████████ (9,500 ₽)
2019 | █████████████████████ (10,500 ₽)
2018 | █████████████████████ (10,500 ₽)
2017 | █████████████████ (8,300 ₽)
2016 | ███████████████ (7,500 ₽)
2015 | ██████████████████ (8,600 ₽)
The table shows average values.
Types of Russian Barley
For international procurement, the type of grain is critical. Russian production covers several key categories:
Malting barley — high starch content and low protein content. It is in demand among breweries in China and Europe.
Feed barley — the main export product. It is purchased for feeding livestock, including cattle, pigs, and poultry.
Hulless barley — higher in protein and fiber, used in functional foods and pharmaceuticals.
Spring barley — the dominant type in Russian production. This is the variety currently supplied to China, while negotiations on winter barley varieties are still ongoing.
This diversity allows buyers to select the right type of barley for specific needs — whether for a brewery in Guangzhou or a grain trader in Riyadh.
Applications: From Beer to Pharmaceuticals
Brewing is the world’s largest consumer of malting barley. Through the malting process, grain is transformed into wort and then into the finished beverage. The global beer industry consumes tens of millions of tons of malt every year, and demand continues to grow along with the premium beer segment.
Feed production is one of the main drivers of barley exports. Demand directly depends on the corn market. In terms of nutritional value, barley is close to corn but is often cheaper, which is why countries with developed livestock industries use it as a substitute for corn in feed rations.
In addition, barley is used to produce pearl barley and barley groats, malt for whisky and kvass, as well as beta-glucan — a natural substance that helps reduce cholesterol and is used in dietary supplements.
Where Russian Barley Is Grown: Key Regions
Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai are the main “gateways” to international markets: grain from these regions is shipped through Black Sea and Azov Sea ports to the Middle East and Africa.
The Volga region supplies both the domestic market and western export routes.
Siberia has become a key source of supplies to China: the route through the Zabaikalsk terminal to Manzhouli is geographically advantageous.
The Central Federal District is a traditional barley-producing region focused mainly on domestic processing.
Major Importers of Russian Barley
Saudi Arabia has historically been the main buyer. The country has almost no domestic grain production, while its livestock sector requires large-scale feed imports. In the record 2023/2024 season, the kingdom led in purchases.
Iran, Algeria, Jordan, Oman, and Tunisia are also stable trading partners, with several of them increasing purchases several times over the past two years.
South Korea has also joined the list of buyers: in 2024, its grain imports increased 130-fold, reaching a historical high.
China: Brewing, Feed, and Long-Term Partnership
China imports 10–12 million tons of barley annually, while its domestic production is around 2.3 million tons. Its dependence on imports is structural.
Breweries, especially along China’s eastern coast, prefer imported grain because of its stable quality, and this demand remains steady.
In the feed segment, purchases are larger in scale but more volatile. Barley exports to China tend to peak when domestic corn prices in China rise.
In the first half of 2024, China increased its purchases of Russian barley 6.4 times to 423,000 tons, with the value reaching $100 million. In November 2025, volumes again reached their highest level since the beginning of 2024, and Russia returned to the top five suppliers of barley to China.
The infrastructure base is also strengthening. In October 2023, a 12-year contract was signed to supply 70 million tons of grain to China worth $25.7 billion. In 2025, Rosselkhoznadzor approved exports of several new products, including cereal flakes containing barley. Competition with Australia remains, but Russian suppliers are steadily strengthening their position.
How to Buy Barley from Russia: Delivery Terms
The main logistics routes are:
- Black Sea and Azov Sea ports for shipments to the Middle East and Africa, with delivery taking 7–20 days;
- Rail transport through Zabaikalsk for China, taking around 20 days.
Payments are made in rubles, yuan, or through banks in third countries.
The export duty is floating. The base cut-off price is 15,900 rubles per ton, adjusted downward in July 2024.
The G2R platform helps buyers find verified barley suppliers in Russia. To do this, buyers can submit a request through the relevant product category card. A manager will contact you to clarify all details.
The platform can also assist with checking counterparties in Russia, arranging payments, logistics, and customs clearance. All you need to do is receive the goods in your city.
Outlook Through 2030
According to Russia’s grain sector development strategy, total grain production should increase to 170 million tons by 2030, while grain exports should reach 80 million tons. Already in 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture estimates the country’s grain export potential at 55 million tons.
Russian barley exports to China could grow to 1 million tons per year if the Chinese market opens to winter barley varieties.
The 2025/2026 season is expected to bring further growth. Analysts forecast Russian barley exports at 5–6 million tons. A recovered harvest, developing logistics, and a growing list of foreign buyers provide a realistic foundation for this scenario.
The barley export market opens broad opportunities for all participants.
For producers: Rising global prices and export quotas make barley production highly profitable.
For exporters and traders: Expanding supply geography — including China, resumed shipments to Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia — opens new sales markets.
For investors: Investments in logistics infrastructure, including elevators and port capacity, as well as breeding and deep processing of barley into malt, groats, and feed, are strategically promising.
Barley Market Growth Forecasts
The outlook for barley market growth appears promising.
The 2025/2026 season is expected to be successful. A strong harvest and rising demand will allow new logistics capacities to be fully utilized.
The key driver is the expansion of supplies to China, where demand for barley as a feed crop is expected to grow.
Long-term outlook through 2030: Expert opinions differ. On the one hand, the Russian government has set an ambitious goal: by 2030, agricultural production should grow by 25%, and exports by 50%. On the other hand, some forecasts, including those based on the ARIMA model, suggest that by 2030 barley exports may decline to 88.77% of the 2024 level.
This contradiction can only be resolved through market diversification and a shift from raw commodity exports to exports of higher value-added products.
Global trend: The global barley market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of around 4.7% through 2032. Russia has every chance to secure its share of this growth.
Thus, Russian barley is a fully established global export commodity. Russia is a stable and competitive supplier. For international buyers, it provides a reliable basis for long-term procurement — whether for brewing, livestock feeding, or food processing.