July 30, 2010

Russian grain production may be less than 85 million tonnes 

Grain harvest for Russia this year is expected to be less than 85 million tonnes compared to 97 million tonnes last year, according to the forecast of the Agriculture Ministry.

Grain has been threshed on an area of 11.3 million hectares (27.9 million acres), or 26% of the harvest area, compared to 9.6 million hectares (23.7 million acres) last year, the Agriculture Ministry reported. Crop yield is 2,510 kg per hectare, down 410 kg from last year.

As of July 26, farms in Russia have harvested 28.4 million tonnes of grain, 363,400 tonnes more compared to the same date last year. Harvest in the drought-affected regions is half of last year's.

This year, drought has devastated nearly 48 million tonnes of grain sown on an area of 10 million hectares (24.7million acres).