In January 2026, the National Commodity Exchange launched spot grain trading using anonymous auctions.
Russia will pilot a new instrument designed to make grain trading accessible to as many companies as possible, while ensuring transparent and fair pricing.
Bilateral anonymous auctions on the spot exchange are intended to address these challenges.
Under the concept, bidders can independently submit bids to buy and sell grain, thus forming a «book of orders.» If bids match, the transaction is concluded.
Currently, the plan is to sell grade 4 wheat in this manner, but in the future, if this instrument proves popular, the range of varieties traded in this format may be expanded.
Experts note that purchased consignments will be delivered by rail and road.
Currently, approximately 30 companies, including major Russian exporters and producers, have gained access to this type of trading. Access to trading is available through the Ministry of Agriculture’s digital platform.
The developers of this format have strived to eliminate bureaucratic barriers as much as possible, allowing virtually any Russian company to access trading within a couple of days. Everything is done through a personal account on this platform using a digital signature.
This format makes grain transactions convenient, accessible to a large number of companies, and, equally important, anonymous.
As analysts note, this increases market transparency and the fairness of price setting.
Experts note that this is not the first attempt to make exchange trading more convenient and accessible for farmers. Similar attempts are made regularly every few years, but so far they have had little impact.
At the same time, the format offered to farmers is becoming increasingly convenient.
Therefore, there’s a chance that a significant number of companies will be interested in the Ministry of Agriculture’s proposal this time around.
However, experts are certain that the current system lacks another important component: risk hedging tools.
Their addition would certainly make the exchange trading format significantly more popular among both large and small Russian companies that produce and trade grain.
