OREANDA-NEWS  By the end of 2025, food production in Russia will show a decline for the first time since 2009, and investments in new projects in the first 11 months have almost halved in annual terms, returning to the level of 2013. Forbes writes about this with reference to expert data.

According to the estimates of the TenderPro electronic trading platform, the number of new investment projects in the food industry has fallen by 45 percent in 11 months, and the total amount of investments has fallen by 46 percent, to 104.7 billion rubles.

INFOLine points out that the activity was worse only before the introduction of a food embargo in the country, that is, a ban on the import of a number of agricultural goods and food products from countries that supported sanctions against Russia.

At that time, the import substitution policy promoted active investments in domestic production, which ensured their growth. But now, if you do not take into account some categories (for example, pet food), production shows a negative trend.

Managing Partner Agrotrend.ru Nikolay Lychev pointed out that the sector is affected by the general economic situation, including high loan rates and a shortage of labor resources. Export restrictions, including prohibitive duties, have become a separate problem, which makes some types of production unprofitable.

The decrease in the purchasing power of the population is no less significant. This year, there has been a noticeable shift to a savings model of behavior, meaning people have fewer opportunities to spend money on food. Increasingly, citizens are abandoning delicacies and choosing simpler food.

On the eve of December 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that the government immediately launch a plan for structural changes in the domestic economy. At the same time, last week the head of state noted that the Russian authorities are satisfied with the economic situation in the country.