The Hydrometeorological center of Russia lowered its forecast for grain production to 121 million tons

Yesterday, experts of the Hydrometeorological center of Russia against the background of drought and unfavorable weather lowered the forecast of grain production in the country to 121 million tons, which is 2.5% or 11 million tons lower than last year's figure. The Black Sea wheat market immediately reacted to this.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture denied this forecast and called it an "information release" for price manipulation.

According to estimates of the Hydrometeorological center of the Russian Federation, the area of harvesting this year will be 47 million hectares, and the gross harvest will decrease by 3 million tons to 121 million tons compared to the June report.

The Hydrometeorological Center said that in July, an atmospheric drought prevailed in some areas of the Central and Volga Districts, which was joined by a soil drought in the South. At the same time, in some areas of the southern, North Caucasus and Central Districts, heavy rains led to lodging of crops. In the central chernozem regions, due to the heat, the maturation of winter crops slowed down, and the grain pungency reached 20-40%, sometimes 50%.

The Ministry of Agriculture left the forecast of grain production in the country at 127.4 million tons, in particular wheat – 81 million tons, since the consequences of the natural emergency regime introduced on the territory of 9 subjects will be compensated by record harvests in the southern regions.

As of July 29, 52.9 million tons of grain were threshed in Russia from 16.2 million hectares with a yield of 3.27 t/ha (in 2020 - 54 million tons and 3.48 t / ha), namely:

• wheat – 40.8 million tons were harvested from 11.8 million hectares with a yield of 3.45 t/ha (in 2020 – 44.8 million tons and 3.61 t/ha),
• barley – 8.3 million tons were harvested from 2.7 million hectares with a yield of 3.02 t/ha (in 2020 – 7 million tons and 3.29 t/ha),
• rapeseed – 379.2 thousand tons were harvested from 141.3 thousand hectares with a yield of 2.68 t/ha.