Food clusters in Russia accounted for more than 40% of new investment projects

The results are based on calculations by the Commonwealth Partnership (CMWP) consulting firm. The share of such productions accounted for 43% (95 hectares) of the total volume of 220 hectares allocated by the end of 2023-2024 under the program and 47% (800 thousand square meters) of the declared volume of construction of production areas. Activity in other industries is significantly lower.

According to Philip Danko, CEO of O2 Consulting, the program operates in St. Petersburg, Volgograd and other cities. In Moscow, he believes, investors have many more opportunities, but the requirements for projects are more stringent.

Experts associate investment activity in the food sector with the availability of soft loans and the growing demand for products. In 2024, a quarter of the surveyed Russians said they started spending more on this category of goods. The development of the market is favored by the food embargo, the high demand for ready-made food and semi-finished products, and the withdrawal of a number of foreign brands from Russia since 2022.

The dark kitchen format has become very popular recently and requires the most efficient supply chain. Ready-to-eat food – products in portions for one meal – is the fastest growing trend in the food industry, Dmitry Vostrikov, CEO of Rusprodsoyuz, told the publication.

According to Infoline’s forecast, sales of ready-made meals in Russia in 2024 will increase by 38.8% year-on-year to 1.04 trillion rubles.

In mid-August, Russian food manufacturers sent letters to retailers asking for an increase in purchase prices between 5% and 40%. The main factor behind the price increase was the tightening of monetary policy by the Bank of Russia.