The Ministry of Agriculture warned of the risk of reducing the harvest and grain exports

The head of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, Dmitry Patrushev, warned of possible risks of not reaching the grain harvest of 130 million tons. In this regard, the department may revise plans for the export of 50 million tons. In addition, it is planned to control the purchase of seeds of domestic selection by the regions for the 2023 sowing season.

At an off-site meeting of the Ministry of Agriculture’s headquarters in Bashkiria, Dmitry Patrushev listed the main risks for the crop. In particular, he noted that in many subjects, due to the cold spring, farmers started harvesting later than planned. According to the minister, in some areas the work itself is complicated by rain, high humidity and winds. The load on agricultural equipment has also increased, and for foreign equipment there are difficulties with the supply of components due to sanctions, Dmitry Patrushev stated.

“In aggregate, all this creates risks in terms of achieving a grain harvest of 130 million tons. Of course, we will fully provide our market, there will be no problems with this. However, if the planned volumes are not achieved, we will have to revise our export plans of 50 million tons. And this may have a negative impact on the world grain market,” the minister said (quoted from “Interfax”).

According to him, intensive harvesting work is underway in all federal districts of Russia. To date, 27% of the area has been harvested, about 55 million tons of grain have been harvested. The minister assessed the current crop yield in Russia as “generally not bad.” However, according to his forecast, this year the volume of harvested grain at the moment is noticeably less than last year.

“Firstly, in many regions, due to the cold spring, farmers started harvesting later. Secondly, the work itself is not easy – in some areas the conditions are complicated by rain, high humidity and winds. In addition, in the current situation, the load on agricultural equipment has significantly increased, and for foreign equipment there are difficulties with the supply of components,” Mr. Patrushev added.

He also spoke about the difficult situation with yield indicators in other countries, especially for wheat. The reason for this was natural disasters. Thus, in the USA and Europe there is a drought, while in Australia and India there are floods. In this regard, a decline in the quality of wheat in North America is expected – primarily in the United States, the minister believes. According to him, in combination with logistical restrictions, these consequences can lead to serious risks in terms of global food security in the current agricultural year.

The day before, Kommersant learned that the Ministry of Agriculture does not exclude the possibility of introducing a ban on the import of seeds from the EU and the USA as counter-sanctions. The department warned the regional authorities in charge of the agro-industrial complex of the need to increase purchases of Russian-made planting material.

More details – in the material “Kommersant” “What you sow, you will reap”.

Ksenia Askerova