• Russia exported 35,000 tonnes of poultry to Africa in 2025
• Export value reached $51 million, more than triple year-on-year
• Benin, DR Congo and Ghana were the main African buyers

Russia exported approximately 35,000 tonnes of poultry meat to African countries in 2025, worth $51 million. Russian news agency Interfax reported the figures, citing February estimates from Agroexport, the federal body responsible for developing and promoting agricultural exports.

The reported volume is more than double the level recorded a year earlier, while the value of these exports more than tripled. Agroexport attributed the increase to the return of Russian exporters to previously untapped markets and expansion into new markets across the continent.

“Last year marked the first shipments of poultry meat and by-products to the Central African Republic and Sudan. Exports to Sierra Leone and Djibouti also resumed for the first time since being suspended in 2017. Shipments to Tanzania restarted for the first time since 2020, to Gambia since 2018, and to Morocco and Togo since 2023,” the agency said.

Overall, Benin was the largest market in 2025, accounting for nearly 41.1% of purchases by value. The Democratic Republic of Congo followed with 21.56%, while Ghana represented 11.7%. Despite the year-on-year increase in shipment volumes, Russian supplies are expected to remain marginal in Africa’s poultry market.

Imports of poultry meat and offal into Africa rose by 19% over five years, increasing from 2 million tonnes in 2020 to 2.44 million tonnes in 2024, according to data compiled by the FAO. Over the same period, the value of these imports climbed by 37% to reach $2.63 billion. Brazil, the United States and the European Union remain among the continent’s main suppliers.

Stéphanas Assocle