Russia bans buckwheat exports, including to Ukraine

The Russian government has suspended exports of buckwheat, including to Ukraine.

The prohibition will be in effect from June 5 to August 31, 2021, according to a resolution published on Russia's official portal of legal information.

The document classifies buckwheat, buckwheat grits, and hulled buckwheat grain in the list of goods that are "vital for the Russian Federation's domestic market," in respect of which temporary restrictions or export bans may be imposed.

Read alsoUkraine sees further cuts in grain exportsExceptions can be made only if buckwheat is part of a humanitarian aid package, authorized by the government, as well as if it is supplied for the military serving overseas, for the Baikonur space launch site, as well as for the Spitsbergen archipelago.

According to the data of Ukraine's Customs Service, the country in January-March 2021, imported buckwheat worth US$5.4 million, of which more than half was delivered from Russia.

Background

The Ukrainian Agribusiness Club Association (UCAB) said Ukraine over two decades had cut the buckwheat output by 78.3%, to 104,000 tonnes in 2020.