Tatarstan has become the leader in cheese production among all regions of the Russian Federation.

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       Tatarstan has become the leader in cheese production among all regions of the Russian Federation

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

       Tatarstan has become the leader in cheese production among all regions of the Russian Federation

      

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      Tatarstan has become the leader in cheese production among all regions of the Russian Federation (photo: shedevrum.ai)

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

       In the first quarter of 2026, enterprises in the Volga Federal District increased cheese production by 4%, bringing the total output to 51.8 thousand tons, and now every fourth cheese head in the country has Volga origins.

       As reported on Monday by the press service of Rosselkhozbank, the share of the Volga Federal District in the overall Russian production of this product increased from 21.7% to 24.7% over the year. The undisputed leader in production volume among all regions of the district and the country is Tatarstan, whose enterprises produced 10.3 thousand tons of cheese, showing an impressive growth of 12.3% compared to the same period last year. Udmurtia ranked second with a production of 7.6 thousand tons, while Bashkortostan rounded out the top three with 5.6 thousand tons produced. Experts from the Center for Industry Expertise also analyzed the changing consumer preferences of the residents of the Volga region and recorded an interesting trend towards import substitution in cheese. Traditional demand leaders – imported feta, brie, and camembert – are gradually losing their positions, giving way to Russian varieties, which have seen a 21% increase in interest across the district. Moreover, the dynamics are even more impressive when viewed by region: in Udmurtia, interest in domestic varieties grew by 78%, in the Saratov region by 36%, and in Orenburg and Bashkiria by 30%. At the same time, the study revealed distinct regional taste preferences: residents of Penza prefer parmesan, those in Chuvashia and Mordovia favor delicacy cheeses with white mold, while in Tatarstan, demand for the classic "Kostromskoy" cheese has increased by a full 60%. There is also a steady decline in interest in Dutch varieties – on average by 17% across the district, while the once-popular Maasdam is rapidly losing fans; for example, in the Kirov region, demand for it has plummeted almost by half – by 49%. It was previously reported that the number of private investors in Tatarstan has significantly increased.

       Arina Mikhaylova

      

      

      

      

      

       Published: 25.05.2026 11:43

       Edited: 25.05.2026 11:43