Russia set for another massive grain harvest – deputy PM

This year’s crop could reach 140 million tons, Viktoria Abramchenko has said

Russian farmers are expected to reap their second-largest grain harvest on record this year, following a bumper crop in the previous agricultural season, Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko said on Tuesday. 

The country’s grain harvest hit an all-time high in the 2022-2023 agricultural year (July 2022-June 2023), exceeding 150 million tons. The wheat harvest alone reached 104.4 million tons.

“As far as I know, to date 137 million tons of grain has already been collected, including around 90 million tons of wheat,” Abramchenko told reporters, adding that about 140 million tons of grain is expected to be collected in total this year.

The deputy prime minister stated that Russia will retain its position as the largest wheat exporter in the world, despite Western sanctions.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Agriculture upgraded its grain harvest forecast for 2023 to 135 million tons in net weight, including 90 million tons of wheat. The ministry previously estimated grain supplies for export this agricultural season at 60 million tons.

READ MORE: Russia to send free grain to Africa – agriculture minister

Russia has become the world’s biggest exporter of grain in recent years thanks to bumper harvests and attractive pricing. Its share of the global wheat market has quadrupled since the early 2000s, and the country is projected to retain its leading position in the coming years.

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