12 May 2022 14:57

Putin: Russia's grain harvest could total 130 mln tonnes in 2022, including record 87 mln tonnes of wheat

MOSCOW. May 12 (Interfax) - Russia's grain harvest could total 130 million tonnes in 2022, including a record 87 million tonnes of wheat, according to preliminary data, President Vladimir Putin said at a government meeting on Thursday.

"A good harvest is expected this year. According to the experts, and these are of course preliminary estimates, the grain harvest could total 130 million tonnes, including 87 million tonnes of wheat. If this does happen, and we are counting specifically on this, then it [the wheat harvest] would be an all-time record in Russia's entire history," Putin said.

"This would not only allow meeting domestic needs, with plenty to spare, it would also allow increasing supplies to the global market for our partners, which is very important for worldwide foodstuffs markets," the president stressed.

Russia harvested an all-time high of 135.5 million tonnes of overall grain crops in 2017, with the wheat harvest totaling 86 million tonnes.

The country harvested 133.5 million tonnes of grain in 2020, including 85.9 million tonnes of wheat, though the grain harvest declined to 121.4 million tonnes in 2021, including 76 million tonnes of wheat.