Russian grape harvest to rise to 800,000 tonnes, vineyards to reach 106,000-107,000 ha - deputy PM

MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Russia may increase its grape harvest to 800,000 tonnes and its area under vineyards to 106,000-107,000 hectares, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said at the 3rd Russian Winemaking Forum in Moscow on Thursday.

"We can probably describe this year as quite difficult for viticulture, as it has been for agriculture in general. It has been unpredictable, to put it mildly. Both the spring frosts and the subsequent lack of moisture led to a shortage in the harvest and damage to the grapes on a number of farms. But despite all these challenges, I think we will harvest 800,000 tonnes," Patrushev said.

The grape harvest totaled 760,000 tonnes in 2023.

"Due to these natural calamities, the quality of the grapes is one of the best in recent years. We can expect quite interesting wines to be produced from these grapes, with a striking taste and aroma," he said, citing expert evaluations. "So, there is no bad without good, even bad weather can often turn into something more," he said.

Plans are in place to plant 6,000 hectares of new vineyards this year, he said. "Thus, with the renewal, uprooting and repair of vineyards, I think the total area [of vineyards in Russia] will reach 106,000-107,000 hectares," he said.

Russia has already produced 47 million decaliters (dal) of winemaking products this year. This is more than last year. "We expect around 70 million decaliters by the end of the year. If my memory serves me right, it was 60 million last year," he said. "Such figures indicate that our producers' positions are steadily strengthening on the domestic market and show that the demand for these products is growing," he said.

Russia is continuing to develop a national system for tracking the origin of grapes, he said. "We are currently in the process of registering all vineyards, with most of the area already recorded in the registry," he said. "Starting next year, Rosselkhoznadzor [the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance] will begin verifying the provided data on-site, directly in the regions," he said. Entrepreneurs who provide false information about vineyards may lose state support and tax deductions, Patrushev said.