Latvia is one of the largest rye exporting countries in the world
According to the calculations of the International Trade Center, in 2020 Latvia was in third place in the world in terms of the volume of exported rye. In 2020, Poland exported 1.29 million tons of rye, Germany - 265 thousand tons of rye, and Latvia exported 168 thousand tons of rye. In rye exports, in 2020 Latvia overtook Canada, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, France and other countries. Latvia's share in the global rye market, calculated by the amount of grain, was 7.7%. In 2020, the main buyers of Latvian rye were companies from Spain, Russia, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania and Belgium.
Since in 2020 (according to the Central Statistical Bureau) the total rye yield in Latvia was 178 thousand tons, without taking into account the stocks of other years and possible re-exports, in 2020 Latvia exported 94% of the entire rye harvest. This means that the cultivation of this crop has one of the highest export rates.
In 2019, Latvia was also in third place in the world in rye exports. In 2019, Poland exported 477 thousand tons of rye, Germany - 257 thousand tons of rye, and Latvia - 165 thousand tons of rye. In 2019, Latvia overtook Canada in rye exports, which exported 141 thousand tons of rye.
In 2018, Latvia exported 125 thousand tons of rye and ranked fifth in the world. In 2018, more rye was exported not only by Poland and Germany, but also by Russia and Canada, but already behind Latvia, in sixth place, Ukraine was ranked with 104 thousand tons of rye exported.
Unlike wheat, rye is a grain with a very limited consumption tradition, so the main importers of rye are the temperate countries of the northern hemisphere - Germany, USA, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, Belgium, Belarus, also South Korea and Japan. Latvia is also one of the largest importers of rye (8th place in 2020) in the world. However, Latvia's expenditure on rye imports in 2020 was four times lower than the revenue from rye exports. Simultaneous export and import of rye are related to both the volume of consumption and the climatic conditions and quality of rye grain, which may vary from year to year.
As Latvia's climatic conditions are not as consistently good as in countries more to the south where rye cultivation takes place, it is quite logical that Latvia's export income per ton of rye is lower compared to other countries. Latvia's income from rye exports in 2020 was 30 million US dollars, which placed Latvia fourth in the world. Poland's rye export revenue in 2020 was 227 million dollars, Germany's - 69 million dollars and Canada's - 41 million dollars. Latvia's share of the global rye market, calculated based on export income, was 6.7%.
However, it should be reminded that rye is not the most profitable grain crop in Latvia. The highest quality soils in Latvia, especially in Zemgale, are mainly used for wheat cultivation. In turn, rye is grown more in areas where conditions are not really suitable for high winter wheat yields. Therefore, large rye growers are concentrated mainly in Vidzeme.
However, in any case, rye cultivation is a natural specialization of Latvia, which ensures a stable export income for Latvia.
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