January 30, 2012

Russia's 2011 general grain harvest totalled 93.9 million tonnes

The Russian Federation's 2011 general grain harvest totalled 93.9 million tonnes in clean weight, an increase of 54.1% compared to the previous year, informed the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat).

The average yield totalled 22.4 centners/hectare (c/ha) against 18.3 c/ha in 2010.

In 2011, the country significantly increased the general production of the major technical crops: sunflower seeds (up 80.1%) and sugar beets (up 2.1 times). Sunflower seed yield grew compared to the results of 2010 (up 39.6%), and the harvesting areas also grew (up 28.8%).

In 2011, the harvest structure of grains and leguminous crops showed the increase in production volumes of all varieties of crops compared to the previous year, except of rice.

Russia harvested 56.2 million tonnes of spring and winter wheat, 3 million tonnes of rye, 16.9 million tonnes of barley, and 5.3 million tonnes of oats, 6.7 million tonnes of corn for grain, 878,000 tonnes of millet, 800,000 tonnes of buckwheat, 1,049,000 tonnes of rice.

Production volumes of sunflower totalled 9.4 million tonnes (up 80.1% compared to 2010) with the average yield of 13.4 c/ha. In 2011, the structure of grain production decreased the proportion of wheat compared to 2010, the proportion of other varieties of grains and leguminous crops grew.

Agricultural organisations are still the main producers of grains and industrial crops. Their share in the production of grains in 2011 totalled 76.8% (in 2010 - 77.1%), sunflower - 71.9% (73%), sugar beet - 86.6% (88.7%).