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Russian Black Caviar Market Grows 14% Domestically Despite Collapse of Western Exports

RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Friday, October 17, 2025, 06:00 (GMT + 9)

Sturgeon Production Hits 42.6 Tonnes in 2025; Producers Pivot to Internal Consumption and New Asian Markets

The production of Russian sturgeon black caviar is maintaining strong momentum, recording positive growth even as exports to non-CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries have dropped close to zero due to Western sanctions.

According to the latest data from Rosstat, Russian companies produced 42.6 tonnes of sturgeon caviar between January and July 2025. This figure represents a 14% increase compared to the 37.4 tonnes produced in the same period in 2024. Over the past five years, total production has seen an impressive 42% growth.

Production Leaders and Logistical Reorientation

More than a quarter of this volume—approximately 11 tonnes—was produced by the Diana fish processing company, part of the Russian Caviar House group, a market leader with a sturgeon farm located in the Vologda Region. Producers from the Astrakhan Region also traditionally account for a significant share of the total volume.

The sustained growth in production reflects robust domestic demand. According to experts from the research firm NTech, black caviar sales within Russia increased by more than one and a half times in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2022.

Sanctions Impact on Exports

The export market has been severely impacted. In 2021, before Western countries included the caviar ban in their 2022 sanctions packages, Russia exported approximately 4.8 tonnes of sturgeon caviar, with 1.8 tonnes going to non-CIS countries.

Russian Caviar House, which exported 1.3 tonnes to international markets in 2021 (mainly to Singapore, Canada, and New Zealand), has seen that figure drop tenfold.

The geography of exports has been completely reoriented toward Asia and the Middle East. The Northwestern Interregional Administration of Rosselkhoznadzor reported that caviar exports from the Vologda Region in the first seven months of 2025 totaled 49 kg, with recipients including India, Jordan, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. In December 2024, 111 kg had been shipped to Vietnam, Indonesia, Jordan, and Serbia.

The Future in the Global Market

Despite the sanctions, Maria Novikova, Development Director of the Russian Caviar House Group, maintains an ambitious outlook: "Developing international trade relations remains an important priority for us."

Novikova insists that the goal of restoring Russia’s status as a "caviar power" is achievable, stressing that global gourmets prefer Russian caviar due to its "unique production technologies" based on centuries of experience in preparing the product.

Note on Statistics: Some experts, however, caution that Rosstat’s official production figures may be overstated, as Russia imports significant amounts of caviar from China which, after repackaging, can be counted as Russian product. Nevertheless, the positive trend in domestic consumption is undeniable.

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