September 12, 2011

 

Russia grain harvests at 71 million tonnes

 

 

According to Russia's Agriculture Ministry, the country's grain harvest as of September 8 were up 71 million tonnes as compared to 2010-09 of 47 million tonnes and 67.6 million tonnes, respectively. 

 

By the same date a year ago, when the country was hit by the worst drought in decades, farmers harvested grains from 23.7 million hectares while in 2009 they reaped grain from 26.3 million hectares.

 

The statement said average grain yields were 2.45 tonnes per hectare compared with 1.98 tonnes a year ago and 2.57 tonnes in 2009.

 

The wheat crop by Sept. 8 this year was 43.4 million tonnes, up from 31.6 million a year ago and 42 million two years ago. Barley output was 15.3 million tonnes, up from 6.98 million a year ago and 14.3 million tonnes reaped by Sept. 8, 2009.

 

Farmers started harvesting corn having threshed 115,100 tonnes from 24,600 hectares or from 1.4 % of the sown area of 1.7 million hectares.

 

Bunker weight, used to measure the crop in the course of the harvesting, is normally 5-7 % higher than the clean weight obtained after grain is cleaned and dried, but the difference may be less in hot and dry years.

 

The country officially expects to harvest 87-90 million tonnes of grain this year by clean weight, up from 61 million in 2010, but down from 97 million in 2009.

 

However, some analysts believe the crop may reach 92 million tonnes this year.

 

The ministry said Russia had harvested 5 million tonnes of sugar beets by Sept. 8 this year, up from 2.8 million tonnes a year ago and 1.2 million tonnes by the same date in 2009.

 

The sun seed crop was 190,200 tonnes, down from 690,400 tonnes a year ago and up from 35,600 by Sept. 8, 2009

 

Russia's Hydrometcentre weather forecasting service has said on its web site meteoinfo.ru that in September the weather will be largely satisfactory for harvesting and for winter grain sowing both in European and Asian parts of Russia.

 

The Agriculture Ministry data showed that by Sept. 8 this year farmers had sown 4.95 million hectares, or 27.9 % of the targeted area of 17.8 million hectares. By the same date in 2010 3.5 million hectares had been sown and in 2009 5.4 million hectares.