Agriculture Ministry revises 2018 grain harvest forecast to 115 mln tonnes
MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax) - The Agriculture Ministry has revised its forecast for Russia's grain harvest in 2018 to 115 million tonnes, according to the national report on results of operations in the sector in 2017.
The ministry's previous forecast for the harvest was 110 million-115 million tonnes.
Russia harvested a record 135.4 million tonnes of grain in 2017.
The sugar beet harvest is forecast at 39.3 million tonnes, 24% less than in 2017, and the potato harvest at 29.7 million tonnes, 0.5% more.
The vegetable harvest is expected to increase to about 17 million tonnes thanks to construction of new and modernization of existing greenhouse complexes and capacity for storage and primary processing of agricultural output, the report says.
The Agriculture Ministry forecasts that crop prices in 2018 will be the same as in 2017 or 0.5% higher, given climatic and economic risks and the forecast trend in grain prices on global markets.