Russia's grain reserves down 26.2% to 35.8 mln tonnes as of Oct 1 - Rosstat
MOSCOW. Oct 19 (Interfax) - Grain reserves in Russia stood at 35.8 million tonnes as of October 1, 2012, down 12.7 million tonnes (26.2%) from the same period of 2011, the Russian State Statistics Agency (Rosstat) said on Friday.
Grain reserves at agricultural organizations (excluding small-scale agro-enterprises) decreased by 8.5 million tonnes (28.1%) to 21.8 million, production and processing organizations - 4.2% (by 23.1%) to 14 million tonnes.
Among total grain at processing enterprises, wheat counted for 9.9 million tonnes (71.2%) compared to 13.9 million tonnes on October 1, 2011, including 8.1 million tonnes of wheat suitable for foodstuffs (10.7 million tonnes last year). Rye reserves at these enterprises came to 830,000 tonnes (5.9%) compared to 1.05 million tonnes on October 1, 2011, 628,000 tonnes of which were suitable food (compared to 793,000 tonnes last year).
In addition, these organizations had 48,000 tonnes of millet (28,000 tonnes last year), 69,000 tonnes of buckwheat (66,000 tonnes), 169,000 tonnes of rice (160,000 tonnes), 631,000 tonnes of corn (370,000 tonnes), 1.933 million tonnes of barely (2.35 million tonnes), and 154,000 tonnes of oats (135,000 tonnes). Other grain reserves stood at 207,000 tonnes on October 1, 2012 compared to 182,000 tonnes on the same date last year.
Grain reserves in the Central Federal District decreased by 9.1% to 8.99 million tonnes, North-West - 11.8% to 599,000 tonnes, Southern - 32.2% to 6.833 million tonnes, North Caucasus - 47.3% to 2.484 million tonnes, Volga - 29.6% to 8.527 million tonnes, Urals - 13.7% to 2.479 million tonnes, Siberia - 28.6% to 5.6455 million tonnes, and Far East - 5.6% to 226,200 tonnes.
According to the Agriculture Ministry's forecast, the gross harvest of grain in Russia this year will total 71.7 million tonnes compared to 94.2 million tonnes last year.
