Losses of Russian winter grain sowings to total 2.5 million hectares

Russia's agriculture ministry has forecasted the general losses of winter grain sowings at the level of 2.5 million ha, or 13.6% of the sowing areas.

According to operative data from regions of the Russian Federation, as of May 19, 2010, agricultural enterprises of the country provided additional fertilising throughout 11.3 million ha of winter grain sowings, which totalled 62% of the general sowing areas.

The following regions of Russia showed the highest rates of grain sowing losses: the Republic of Tatarstan - 462,000 ha (57%), Volgograd oblast - 431,000 ha (27%), Voronezh oblast - 309,000 ha (41%), Tambov oblast - 96,000 ha (20%), Belgorod oblast - 89,000 ha (27%) and Chuvash Republic - 74,000 ha (64%).