Mr Medvedev began his visit to the mill with its display of sunflower seeds, from which oil and agro-fuel is made. “Not good for husking – too small,” he remarked. He also said that this was the first time he saw sunflower pellets, adding that they have a pleasant smell.

Pellets are admixed to coal as boiler fuel to reduce air pollution and increase heat output. The prime minister asked whether the company supplies this fuel to the domestic market. “We do but exports are more lucrative,” CEO Sergei Kislov replied.

After Mr Medvedev visited the fuel and oil production areas, he was shown several brands of sunflower oil. Mr Kislov told him that Russian manufacturers fully cover the domestic need for vegetable oils and export about a million tonnes a year. The demand in Ukraine alone is an annual 400,000 tonnes.

“Oil and grain exports are different things – oil is a value added product,” the Prime Minister said.