Forecast for Russia's grain harvest remains at 132 mln tonnes this year, 84 mln tonnes of wheat expected
MOSCOW. Sept 5 (Interfax) - The forecast for Russia's grain harvest remains at 132 million tonnes this year despite the unfavorable weather conditions, with over 93 million tonnes already harvested, a press release following a meeting on the situation in agribusiness chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said.
"All grain-producing regions have already started harvesting the new crop, having harvested over 93 million tonnes of grain, including 70.5 million tonnes of wheat. The unfavorable weather conditions will obviously affect the final volumes, having accompanied operations in certain regions in the south, central Russia, and the Volga Region for nearly the entire season. Nevertheless, the Agriculture Ministry retains its forecast for the grain harvest at 132 million tonnes," Patrushev said.
The Russian Agriculture Ministry's press office told Interfax that a wheat harvest of 84 million tonnes was expected this year.
Patrushev also said that harvesting oilseeds, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, and berries is underway. Winter sowing is gaining momentum at a current area of 3.3 million hectares, which is in line with forecast expectations, he said.
Speaking about preparations for the 2025 sowing campaign, Patrushev recalled that it is necessary to continue the transition to domestically produced seeds. "There are already tangible results in this area. Thus, the share of Russian seeds has exceeded 90% within the structure of sowing winter wheat for the current year's harvest," he said.
The press release also notes that the government is implementing a set of measures to provide farmers with the necessary resource base. Consequently, over 94 billion rubles have been allocated to the regions to support agricultural production, particularly seasonal fieldwork in 2024. Over 70% of the funds have already been transferred to the recipients. Moreover, systemic support mechanisms are provided for in the fuel and mineral fertilizer markets.
Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) data indicate that Russia harvested 144.9 million tonnes of grain in 2023, including 92.8 million tonnes of wheat.