The domestic agro-industrial complex is receiving strong regulatory support during the critically important final period of the summer harvest.
The Russian government has officially included agricultural producers in the list of priority destinations for motor fuel supplies.
The corresponding order of distribution of petroleum products was recorded in the minutes of meetings held by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
Under the new scheme, farmers are included in the first, strategic group of recipients of petroleum products, along with government customers, defense procurement entities, Russian Railways, and the civilian fleet.
Limits in «manual mode»: data verification from the Ministry of Agriculture
The introduction of strict priorities is due to the ongoing tension in the petroleum product market. To protect the sector from shortages, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture has switched to end-to-end personalized accounting of needs.
According to the head of the department, Oksana Lut, the ministry is in constant contact with the Ministry of Energy and has already developed a systemic solution—a monthly schedule for distributing fuel quotas to the regions until the end of the year.
The relevant ministry has verified applications for literally every specific agricultural producer and raw material processor.
The distribution of volumes among key oil companies should be completed soon, while supply issues for the largest vertically integrated agricultural holdings are being resolved on a case-by-case basis.
At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers is activating a mechanism of regional operators designed to balance supply and demand, serving as a link between vertically integrated oil companies and small businesses in the region.
Regional Specifics: Logistics Tightness and the Drone Threat
Despite positive signals from the government and the measures being taken (including extending the ban on petroleum product exports and postponing repairs at refineries), the situation at the local level remains uneven and often requires manual management.
Southern Russia.
In Stavropol Krai, two basic operators have already been brought in to supply small farmers.
However, a new specific factor has emerged: as reported by the regional governor, Vladimir Vladimirov, fuel companies are forced to suspend fuel shipments during the drone threat, disrupting the logistics system.
Volga Region.
In Nizhny Novgorod Region, local shortages have already triggered price increases.
Local authorities have reached agreements with oil companies to contain tariffs and prioritize the supply of fuel to food and processing industries.
Siberia and the Far East.
These remain the most vulnerable macroregions in terms of fuel and lubricant availability.
In the Novosibirsk Region, the situation is assessed as manageable—farmers are awaiting the receipt of additional fuel quotas under strict federal control.
To mitigate risks in the Far Eastern Federal District and Siberia, the Ministry of Energy has been instructed to develop fuel import schemes and assess the economic feasibility of constructing mini-refineries there.
Analytical View: A Temporary Shield or a Systemic Solution?
Independent fuel market experts, including representatives of NEFT Research, acknowledge the high tactical effectiveness of these measures.
The allocation of strict quotas is guaranteed to smooth out shortage peaks and allow large agricultural holdings to smoothly complete the harvest and begin the fall planting season.
