The relevant ministry has proposed revising the minimum price benchmarks for large-scale grain market purchases scheduled for the period between November 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027.
A draft regulation to this effect has already been submitted for public and expert review, proposing significant reductions in price thresholds compared to previously approved parameters.
The adjustment will apply to key food and feed crop categories, and the final price schedules have already undergone official approval by the antimonopoly authority.
New Price Parameters for Grains
For Class 3 soft wheat, the plan is to set the purchase threshold at 12,210 rubles per tonne (including VAT), with a net price (excluding VAT) of 11,100 rubles.
The state is prepared to purchase Class 4 wheat of the same variety at 11,880 rubles (including VAT) or 10,800 rubles (excluding VAT), while rye (Class 3 or higher) is valued at 11,660 rubles (including VAT) or 10,600 rubles (excluding VAT).
Rounding out the list is barley, with a price threshold set at 11,220 rubles per tonne (including VAT) and 10,200 rubles per tonne (excluding VAT).
Trends in Price Revisions
Comparing the proposed figures with the standards approved in February 2026 reveals the significant scale of the reduction in purchase price limits. In the previous version of the ministry’s documents, starting prices were set at 14,630 rubles (including VAT) for 3rd-class wheat and 13,970 rubles (including VAT) for 4th-class wheat.
Higher price expectations—12,320 rubles and 12,540 rubles (including VAT), respectively—had also been set earlier in the year for rye (Grade 3 or higher) and barley; however, current market realities compelled the regulator to annul the previous order.
Aligning with Market Trends
Industry experts and representatives of agricultural producer associations agree that the updated wheat price of 10,000 rubles per tonne is economically sound.
These new figures not only reflect current market conditions but, in several key agricultural regions, actually exceed the prices at which commercial entities are currently making purchases.
It is expected that selling the harvest at the state-proposed prices will allow crop growers to fully recoup their operating and production costs.
Support for Export-Oriented Regions
The bulk of state intervention purchasing sessions is slated to support regions that are traditionally oriented toward foreign markets. These specific regions have been hit hardest by severe disruptions to established supply chains and rising freight costs in the Azov-Black Sea basin. State procurement will effectively complement ongoing measures to diversify export flows, expand opportunities for farmers to sell surplus grain, and strengthen their financial stability during the autumn field campaign.
Current Price Realities
The need to revise rates is clearly demonstrated by data from regular domestic market price monitoring as of October 2.
The average price of Class 3 wheat fell to 9,780 rubles per ton—down from 14,859 rubles a year earlier—while Class 4 wheat dropped to 8,575 rubles per ton, compared to the previous 13,569 rubles.
Food-grade rye traded at 12,805 rubles (versus 13,270 rubles last year), while the price of feed barley fell to 8,075 rubles per ton from the previous 13,393 rubles.
Infrastructure Readiness for Procurement
Procurement sessions could officially begin as early as late October 2026; however, infrastructure constraints currently hinder the program’s implementation.
The relevant ministry is actively collecting applications from owners of grain elevator facilities to store the 3,000,000 tons of grain slated for purchase. Currently, capacity confirmed by owners totals only 1,300,000 tons; consequently, the regulator is preparing to announce a second competitive selection process to secure the remaining 1,700,000 tons of capacity.
