ENG

Russia-China Cooperation in Agriculture: Challenges and Prospects

Karen Ovsepyan, CEO of NOVO Evolution Centre Joint Stock Company, delivered a report at a specialized session of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture during the II International Forum "SPROUTS: Russia and China – Mutually Beneficial Cooperation," dedicated to Russia-China partnership in agriculture. In his speech, he shared 15 years of experience in grain, soybean, and other crop production and supply with the People's Republic of China, highlighted the challenges exporters face today, and presented the mechanisms used by NOVO Evolution Centre Group to overcome them.

For example, the proven and innovative Grain+ logistics concept is designed to address the issue of limited railway capacity. This model will enable the creation of a highly efficient logistics system by containerizing bulk grain transportationand ensuring 100% utilization in both directions, effectively eliminating empty railway runs. Today, under the leadership of Karen Ovsepyan, NOVO Evolution Centre Group is establishing stable trade routes. The Alabuga Grain Terminal in the Republic of Tatarstan is currently in the design phase and is being developed in partnership with Russia’s largest logistics complex, the Deng Xiaoping Logistics Hub. This specialized facility will serve as a consolidation hub, enabling regular, year-round grain shipments from across the Volga region and parts of neighboring areas to People's Republic of China and other friendly nations in Central Asia and the Middle East. In the opposite direction, shipments from friendly countries will include machinery and technical equipment, components and spare parts, consumer goods, and other cargo.

Another key project of NOVO Evolution Centre Group, aimed at addressing railway capacity limitations, is the Grain+ multimodal logistics hub, located in the Serakhs Special Economic Zone in Iran. Located at the intersection of Greater Eurasia’s key corridors, the hub will become a crucial link connecting cargo flows between Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East, India, and China. As part of the development of a joint efficient logistics infrastructure, discussions are underway to establish a similar hub in China in collaboration with partners from Chongqing.

Karen Ovsepyan is convinced that Russia and China have immense potential for bilateral cooperation in agriculture and that, despite existing challenges, both countries remain committed to maintaining the pace of their rapprochement.