Russia’s grain deep-processing industry is demonstrating both robust growth and strategic adaptation in 2025. Leading the charge is companies like Amilko, which is embarking on a major expansion in the Rostov region to double its corn processing capacity from 270,000 to 500,000 tons annually. This push is part of a broader national trend, with four major projects—”Organic Acids,” “Amirost,” “Proteinsib,” and “Donbiotech”—currently under development. The industry’s financial health is solid, as evidenced by the “Soyuzkrakhmal” ranking, where top players like “Cargill” and “Zavod Premiksov No. 1” reported net profits of 8.9 billion and 4.2 billion rubles respectively in 2024, with Amilko itself posting 2.1 billion rubles.
However, the market is experiencing a dynamic shift. While 2024 was a record year for native corn starch (340,000 tons) and glucose syrups (503,000 tons), 2025 presents a more nuanced picture. According to Oleg Radin, President of Soyuzkrakhmal, the sector is pivoting to overcome headwinds. A key growth area is food-grade modified starches, with new projects specifically targeting this high-value segment to move beyond volatile industrial markets like oil drilling and paper production, which are facing a downturn. This aligns with a global focus on bio-refineries that extract maximum value from agricultural feedstocks. Simultaneously, the industry is contending with a projected decline in Glucose-Fructose Syrups (GFS) due to taxes on sugary drinks and subdued domestic consumer demand, which is causing some buyers to economize. Despite these challenges, the industrial biotech segment is a bright spot; production of lysine-sulfate is strong, potentially exceeding 2024’s output of 136,000 tons. Export recovery is also a critical goal, with efforts to rebuild shipments of products like wheat gluten after exports fell to just 11% of total production in 2024 due to logistical and payment issues with “unfriendly” countries.
Russia’s deep grain processing industry is at a crossroads. It has built significant capacity and is now strategically reorienting itself towards more resilient and profitable markets. The future lies not in volume alone but in value: by focusing on specialized food ingredients, sustaining its strong biotech output, and navigating complex export channels with government support, the sector can insulate itself from domestic consumption fluctuations and volatile industrial demand. The success of this pivot will determine whether it can fully capitalize on Russia’s large grain harvests and translate them into sustained economic gain.
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