November 10, 2010

 

Russia's 2010 grain output reaches 60.5 million tonnes

Russian Agriculture Ministry confirmed on Tuesday (Nov 9) it expects the 2010 grain crop to be 60.5 million tonnes, a 38% decline from the 97 million tonnes reaped in 2009, after the worst drought in more than a century.

 

Farmers had threshed 63.7 million tonnes of grain by bunker weight so far, with the harvesting campaign practically over, the ministry said in a statement.

 

This includes 43.5 million tonnes of wheat, 8.9 million tonnes of barley, 2.7 million tonnes of corn, 1.1 million tonnes of rice and 371,000 tonnes of buckwheat.

 

Last year, farmers harvested 101.4 million tonnes of grain by bunker weight by November 11, 2009, including 63.4 million tonnes of wheat, 18.7 million tonnes of barley and 978,000 tonnes of rice, according to the ministry.

 

"With the expected difference (between bunker and clean weight obtained after cleaning and drying the grain) of 5-7%, the grain crop will be 60.5 million tonnes by clean weight," it said.

 

Russia's drought sparked a rally in global grain markets, pushing wheat prices to their highest levels in two years in August after Moscow banned grain and flour exports.

 

Officials have repeatedly said that the country will be able to manage without imports.

 

But analysts have said the crop is expected to be lower than officially estimated and the former major exporter will have to import some four million tonnes of grain in the current crop year of 2010-11 started in July.

 

Farmers had also harvested 4.8 million tonnes of sunseeds, 623,000 tonnes of rapeseeds, 1.2 million tonnes of soy and 20.2 million tonnes of sugar beets by November 9 this year.

 

In addition, farmers had sown winter grains on 15.1 million hectares as of November 9, and the sowing campaign still continued, the statement said.

 

Russia has said it aimed to sow 15 million hectares with winter grains for the 2011 crop, down from 18 million last year.