Russian agro-producers harvest 41 mln tonnes of grain as of Sept 1- Rosstat
MOSCOW. Sept 17 (Interfax) - Russian agro-producers, as of September 1, 2012, had harvested 40.9 million tonnes of grain (in initially reported weight), which is 8.8 million tonnes, or 17.8%, below the result for the same day in 2011, Russia's State Statistics Agency, Rosstat, said on Monday.
On the same day in 2011, agro-producers had harvested 49.7 million tonnes of grain. This figure on September 1, 2010 came to 33.9 million tonnes.
Crop-yield came to 19.9 centners per hectare compared to 26.5 centners in 2011 and 20.9 centners in 2010.
The harvest rates for this year are higher than in previous years. For instance, grain and grain-bearing cultures (excluding corn) have moved from 20.7 million hectares (compared to 19.1 million hectares in 2011 and 16.4 million hectares in 2010). Grain has been culled from 67.2% of sowed territory (compared to 61.6% and 53% in 2011 and 2010, respectively). Grain has been harvested from 20.6 million hectares (compared to 18.8 million hectares and 16.2 hectares in 2011 and 2010, respectively).
Including summer losses on sowed territory and the use of some areas for animal feeding, less than one fourth of territory under cultivation for grain and grain-bearing cultures remains to be harvested.
As of September 1, agro-organizations had harvested 24.7 million tonnes of wheat, down 20% from 2011 (30.9 million tonnes and 24.1 million tonnes in 2010). In addition, crop yield was lower than in 2011 and drought-ridden 2010: it came to 21 centner per hectare compared to 29.3 centners and 23.3 centners in the previous years.
Sugar beet had been harvested from 100 hectares of territory compared to 79 hectares in 2011. As of September 1, 3.5 million tonnes of sugar beet had been collected, up 23.4% from 2.8 million tonnes on the same date in 2011.
Common flax was culled from 22,000 hectares (compared to 26,000 hectares in 2011), which accounts for 50.5% of sowed territory. A year ago, this figure came to 58.4% of sowed territory.
According to Rosstat, agro-organizations control 72.7% of territory for grain and grain-bearing cultures (excluding corn).
A total of 53.5 million tonnes of grain had been culled at farms of all stripes (agro-organizations, farms, household plots), down 16.3%.
Harvest of sugar beet came to 4 million tonnes, up 23.1% year-on-year. The collection of potatoes and vegetables, however, decreased by 3% and 0.6%, respectively.
