The Russian Dairy Industry was discussed at the Kazan Agro 2026 Exhibition
Today, a roundtable discussion entitled "The Russian Dairy Industry – Challenges and Opportunities. Presentation of Tatarstan Milk Producer and Processor Ratings" was held at the Kazan Agro 2026 specialized agricultural exhibition. Denis Pirogov, General Director of the Union of Milk Producers of the Republic of Tatarstan, moderated the meeting.
Lenar Garipov, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan, noted that Tatarstan is the largest milk producer in Russia, producing 2,378,000 tons of milk last year.
Artem Belov, General Director of the National Union of Milk Producers, spoke about the Russian dairy industry and identified areas for growth.
He identified the following as the main factors driving the decline in demand in 2025: population decline and changes in the age structure, slowing income growth, rapidly rising prices for dairy products compared to other food products, rising savings for most households, and increased imports.
Artem Belov emphasized that the potential for increasing the dairy market's volume lies in domestic consumption, exports, import substitution, the substitution of private farms, and the substitution of counterfeit products.
Timur Baimullin, Head of Regional Government Relations at PJSC "Corporate Center X-5," spoke on the topic of "Development through Partnership." X5 Group is a leading food retailer in Russia. It manages a portfolio of chain store brands, including Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, and Chizhik, as well as the digital businesses Vprok and 5Post, as well as its own logistics services, direct imports, and a number of digital services for partners. "The company's mission is to improve people's quality of life by offering affordable, healthy products and delicious food, helping with everyday needs," he noted.
"We work with approximately 111 producers in the Republic of Tatarstan. Many of them supply their products outside the republic. Since 2022, the company has begun to abandon federal suppliers, switching to local producers in the regions. This reduces our logistics footprint, and the population gets the producer they want," added Timur Baimullin.
Igor Rotkin, Director of the Project and Product Solutions Management Department at JSC CTS Exchange, noted that the commodity exchange is a licensed digital platform where companies buy and sell standardized goods in a real-time auction format. "The exchange can ensure transparent pricing and eliminate collusion and price manipulation, increase market predictability for strategic management, planning, and forecasting, and justify prices to reduce risks when interacting with regulatory authorities," he said.
Denis Pirogov presented the ratings of producers and processors from the Union of Milk Producers of the Republic of Tatarstan. Five companies account for 25% of the total raw milk production in the Republic of Tatarstan among agricultural organizations: JSC Agroholding Krasny Vostok, LLC APK Prodprogramma, LLC Kamsky Bekon, JSC HC Ak Bars, and LLC Avgust-Agro. Companies processing milk with a capacity of over 200 tons per day include Kazan Dairy Plant LLC, Zelenodolsk Dairy Plant JSC, Vamin Group of Companies, Vysokogorsk Dairy Plant LLC, Azbuka Syra LLC, Alabuga Sote OJSC, and a branch of MK Edelweiss, and Logika Molokai JSC, he noted.