Kurgan Region Expands Grain Exports to China: Phytosanitary Compliance Drives Growth
In a promising development for Russian agricultural exports, farmers in the Kurgan region have increased shipments of grain and oilseed crops to China. According to the Ural Interregional Directorate of Rosselkhoznadzor, over 44,000 metric tons of products were analyzed and approved for export in early 2025—a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when 37,000 metric tons were shipped.
What’s Being Exported?
The list of exported commodities includes:
- Flax seeds
- Barley
- Dried peas
- Oats
These crops are subject to strict phytosanitary controls, especially when entering the Chinese market, which maintains zero-tolerance policies for certain quarantine pests and pathogens.
Ensuring Quality Through Testing
Before export, all products undergo laboratory testing at the Center for the Safety and Quality Assessment of Agricultural Products, where they are screened for pests and pathogens considered quarantine threats by Chinese authorities. Only after successfully passing these tests are exporters issued the necessary phytosanitary certificates.
China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) has recently reinforced these standards. According to a 2024 report from China Customs Statistics, the top quarantine concerns for grain imports include:
- Fusarium spp.
- Tilletia controversa (dwarf bunt)
- Storage pests such as Sitophilus granarius (granary weevil)
Kurgan’s ability to meet these standards demonstrates the region’s rising export readiness and growing competence in managing phytosanitary risks.
A Sign of Growing Trade Potential
This increase in volume reflects broader trends in Russia–China agricultural cooperation. In 2023, Russia exported over 6 million metric tons of grain to China, and experts forecast a continued upward trajectory in 2025 due to:
- China’s efforts to diversify grain suppliers amidst geopolitical and climate-driven risks.
- Russia’s strategic goal of expanding agricultural exports to Asia, especially under the framework of the EAEU-China trade corridor.
As part of this strategy, regional producers in Kurgan and other parts of the Urals and Siberia are increasingly leveraging their proximity to eastern markets and improving logistical routes such as the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The growth in grain exports from the Kurgan region to China underscores the importance of rigorous phytosanitary control and regional preparedness. As China continues to seek stable agricultural partners, Russian producers who invest in quality and compliance will be well-positioned to capture a growing share of this dynamic market.
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