April 16, 2012

Russia's wheat exports reach 18.5 million tonnes in July-April

From July 2011 to the middle of April 2012, Russian wheat exports reached a record volume of more than 18.5 million tonnes, the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR) said on Friday (Apr 13).

By the end of the 2011-12 season, from July to June, the country's wheat export could reach 20.5 million tonnes, up from 3.98 million tonnes during the 2010-11 crop season, hit by a severe drought, IKAR's general director, Dmitri Rylko told Reuters.

The previous record high wheat exports were seen in 2009-10 and amounted to 18.275 million tonnes.

The grain crop in 2011-12 season is driven by unusually high carry-in in South of Russia and strong demand from Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Rylko added.

Russia is poised to become the world's second-largest wheat exporter this year after the US.