Russia sows grain over almost 71% of planned field area by May 22
MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) - Russia had by May 22 planted grain over 21.4 million hectares, representing 70.8% of plan.
According to Agriculture Ministry data Interfax has obtained, that was 3 million hectares more than for the same period of last year.
Farming outfits in the Southern and Northern Caucasus Districts were close to finishing their planting. Grain had been planted over almost 2.3 million hectares in the south - 95.7% of plan and 373,800 hectares more year-on-year. In the Northern Caucasus, grain had been sown 542 million hectares (86% of plan, 215,600 hectares more). Farms in Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Adygea and Chechen Republics have increased the land area for intended planting.
In the Central District, grain had been sown over 3.7 million hectares, 91% of plan and 212,000 hectares more year-on-year. However, a number of regions - particularly Vladimir, Tula, and Kostroma Regions - are behind last year's pace.
In Volga Region, grain had been planted over 7.5 million hectares, which was 84.5% of plan and 1.4 million hectares more than at the same time last year. Tatarstan and Samara Region have already "overstepped" their planted-land target, but Udmurtia and Kirov Region are lagging behind last year's pace.
In Urals District, grain had been planted over almost 2.1 million hectares (54% of plan, 597,800 hectares more than a year previously), and in Siberia - 4.9 million hectares (50%, 249,800 hectares more). In Russia's Far East, the planting had been done over 289,400 hectares (62.7%, 30,600 hectares fewer). In North-West District, grain had been sown over 160,600 hectares (62.2%, 24,300 hectares fewer).
The plan is for spring grain to be sown over almost 30.3 million hectares total this year.
Spring crops in general had been planted over 35.1 million hectares, representing 69.1% of plan for this year. That was 4.7 million hectares more than on May 22, 2011. Planting in the country's center encompassed 7.1 million hectares (84.8% of plan, 473,700 hectares more than one year ago), in the North-West - 221,300 hectares (43.9%, 13,200 hectares fewer), in the South - 5 million hectares (82.5%, 717,800 hectares more), in the Northern Caucasus - almost 1.3 million hectares (79.3%, 164,700 hectares more), in Volga Region - 12 million hectares (80.1%, 2.1 million hectares more), in the Urals - 2.5 million hectares (53.2%, 688,500 hectares more), in Siberia - 6.4 million hectares (49.3%, 343,200 hectares more), and in the Far East - 582,200 hectares (37.2%, 221,800 hectares more).
Total spring crop planting this year is planned for 50.8 million hectares.
The Russian Agriculture Ministry's preliminary forecast that this year's gross 2012 grain harvest could weigh in at last year's level of 94.2 million tonnes.