Prices on 2013 harvest grain will not see major changes - expert
MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - Prices on grain harvested in 2013 in Russia will not be very different from their current level, National Grain Producers Union President Pavel Skurikhin said at the third congress of the union in Moscow Wednesday.
"Prices on grain from the future harvest will probably not be very different from current prices and this will create an incentive for us to produce as much grain as possible this year," he said.
Skurikhin based his forecast on the grain resources in the current and next agricultural years (the current year runs from July 2012 to June 2013).
In the current season grain resources will be around 90 million tonnes - 18.6 million tonnes in carried over stock and 70.7 million tonnes from the 2012 harvest. "If we carry out the set task and harvest 95 million tonnes, then the grain balance for the next agricultural year will be similar to the current one, as carry-over stock will be minimal," he projects.
The National Union of Grain Producers reports that on February 22 2013, the price of third-grade wheat in the Central Federal District was 11,000-11,800 rubles per tonne, fourth-grade was 10,800-11,600 rubles and fodder barley was 9,000-9,300 rubles per tonne.
In the South a tonne of grade-three wheat cost 11,100-11,500 rubles, grade-4 wheat was 11,000-11,400 rubles and fodder barley was 9,000-9,200 rubles.
In the Volga grade-3 wheat was 11,500-11,600 rubles, grade-4 - 10,400-11,500 rubles and fodder barley - 8,900-9,700 rubles per tonne.
In the Urals and Siberia the prices were a little lower. In the Urals a tonne of grade-3 wheat cost 10,000 to 10,700, grade-4 cost 10,000 to 10,500 rubles and in Siberia the prices were, respectively, 9,600-11,300 rubles and 9,500-11,200 rubles.
The Union noted "a considerable downward correction in prices on the domestic market over the last week." The drop ranged from 50 to 350 rubles per tonne.
