Russian confectionery hits new highs in 2019

Exports of confectionery products in Russia has increased by 14.2% so far in 2019, said Oksana Luth, the country’s deputy minister of agriculture.

She made the claim during a recent visit to the Rot Front factory in Moscow, which is the largest cocoa bean processing line in Europe, producing 25,000 tons of chocolate semi-finished products annually.

Rot Front Confectionery is a Russian manufacturer of confectionery such as candies, chocolates, caramels and wafers with over 3,000 employees.

According to Luth, the production of confectionery products is one of the fastest growing areas in the Russian food industry. In the first nine months of 2019, the country produced 2.8m tons of confectionery products, which is 1.8% higher than in the same period last year.

The growth of production and increased confidence in domestic products from foreign partners contribute to the boon in the country’s confectionery industry, which are exported to more than 100 countries.

“This year, at the beginning of November, our country has already delivered overseas products for the amount of $930m, which is 14.2% more than in the same period in 2018. At the same time, Asian markets are of greatest interest to Russian producers, which should provide the main increase in the export of confectionery products by 2024​,” she said.

United Confectioners Holding, which includes the Rot Front factory, is a significant exporter of Russian food, supplying confectionery products to more than 45 countries.

A new production line at the Moscow plant came into operation last month, capable of producing 25,000 tons of chocolate semi-finished products a year.

“The launch of a new production site allowed us to improve the quality characteristics of semi-finished products: grated cocoa, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder - the main ingredients for the production of chocolate products​,” said a spokesperson of the company.