September 16, 2013

Due to better weather conditions, Russia's grain growing regions began this year's harvest with yields higher despite total harvested area is smaller.

The ministry of agriculture said 68.4 million tonnes of grain was harvested to September 12 on 30.1 million hectares, or 65.2% of the total area. Last year the area was 2.9 million hectares more and 60.2 million tonnes was harvested.

To date, the average yield is 2.28 tonnes/hectare (ha) compared with 1.83 tonnes/ha on the same date last year.

The ministry said the wheat harvest to date stands at 43 million tonnes on 16.5 million hectares, 2.6 million hectares less than a year ago, with an average yield of 2.6 tonnes/ha. On the same date last year, the wheat harvest was 35.5 million tonnes with an average yield of 1.85 tonnes/ha.

On 6.7 million hectares, the barley harvest to date is 13.4 million tonnes, 0.4 million hectares less than a year ago. The average yield is 2.01 tonnes/ha. The barley harvest was 13.2 million tonnes with an average yield of 1.86 tonnes/ha a year ago.

To date, the corn harvest was 674,800 tonnes on 135,300 hectares, 166,500 hectares less than a year ago. The average yield is 4.99 tonnes/ha. Last year the corn harvest was 1.3 million tonnes with the average yield of 4.3 tonnes/ha.

The ministry expects this year's grain harvest to increase to 88-90 million tonnes from 71.7 million tonnes in 2012 when crops were damaged by drought.