Smaller Russian Grain Harvest

WASHINGTON - Sep 7/06 - SNS -- Grain harvests in the Russian Federation are expected to reach 72.9 million metric tons (MT), according to a recent report from the U.S. agricultural attache for the country, down from initial forecasts on account of lower spring wheat yields.

Wheat production is forecast at 41.0 million MT. Domestic wheat prices are growing steadily, but export incentives remain very high. Wheat exports are forecast at 7.5 million MT, leaving only 35.8 million MT for total domestic wheat consumption (including 12.5 million MT for domestic feed consumption), a decrease of 2.4 million MT from last year.

According to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture (MinAg), 25.1 million hectares were harvested by September 4 (57% of the total expected grain harvest area), yielding 55.9 million MT, which is 7.2 million MT less than by the same date last year.

In the Southern Federal District, 87% of grain crop area was harvested, yielding 23.3 million MT, which is 1.3 million MT lower than on the same date last year. The average grain yield is 2.85 MT per hectare. Only corn and rice remain to be harvested in the Southern Federal District.

In the Central Federal District, 4.7 million hectares were harvested (70% of expected grain harvest area), yielding 11.3 million MT, 3.4 million MT less than on the same date last year. The average yield is 2.38 MT per hectare. Rainfall has both delayed harvest and decreased yields. The final rain damage has not yet been estimated.

In the Volga Valley Federal District, 9.6 million hectares were harvested (70% of expected grain area), yielding 17.6 million MT. The average yield is 1.82 MT per hectare, higher than last year for the same period. However, the moisture content of harvested grain is higher than normal due to rainy weather, and the final "clean" weight of grain may be lower.

In the Ural Federal District, grain has been harvested from 0.6 million hectares, (18% of total expected harvested area), yielding 1.15 million MT of grain, or 0.4 million MT less than last year on the same date.

In the Siberian Federal District, 2.0 million MT of grain were harvested (1.8 million MT less than on the same date last year) from 1.6 million hectares (16% of expected harvested area).

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