October 10, 2013

Boosted by better weather conditions, Russia's grain growing regions began this year's harvest with higher yields though the total harvested area is smaller.

The agriculture ministry said 81.3 million tonnes of grain was harvested in October 7 on 36.6 million hectares, or 83% of the total area. Last year the area was 0.1 million hectares more and 68 million tonnes was harvested.

The average yield to date is 2.22 tonnes/hectare compared with 1.85 tonnes/hectare on the same date last year.

The ministry expects this year's grain harvest to rise to 88 million tonnes to 90 million tonnes from 71.7 million tonnes in 2012 when crops were damaged by drought.

The wheat harvest to date stands at 49.8 million tonnes on 20.8 million hectares, 0.1 million hectares less than a year ago, with an average yield of 2.39 tonnes/hectare. On the same date last year, the wheat harvest was 38.7 million tonnes with an average yield of 1.86 tonnes/hectare, the ministry said.

The barley harvest to date is 15.1 million tonnes on 7.5 million hectares, the same as a year ago. The average yield is 2.04 tonnes/hectare. The barley harvest was 14.2 million tonnes with an average yield of 1.9 tonnes/hectare a year ago.

To date, corn harvest was 2.2 million tonnes on 419,800 hectares, 496,600 hectares less than a year ago. The average yield is 5.15 tonnes/hectare. Last year the corn harvest to the same date was 3.8 million tonnes with the average yield of 4.12 tonnes/hectare.

Russia's grain exports between July 1, the beginning of the current marketing year, and September 30, totalled nine million tonnes, 9.5% more than in the corresponding period last year, as reported by the federal statistics service. The service said grain exports during September totalled 2.9 million tonnes, including 2.4 million tonnes of wheat, 367,000 tonnes of barley, 106,000 tonnes of corn and 27,000 tonnes of other minor grains.

Russia's grain exports in the 2012-13 marketing year fell to 15.69 million tonnes from 27.2 million tonnes in the previous marketing year. In the July 2013-June 2014 marketing year, the agriculture ministry expects Russia's grain exports to rise to 18 million to 20 million tonnes.