Russia recorded a grain harvest this year of 76 million tonnes, up nine percent on the previous year, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev said on Monday.
The expanded harvest should enable Russia to export "eight million tonnes of cereals, give or take two million", Gordeyev told a news conference.
He said Russia had produced "twice as much wheat as the country needs", which was "a very good harvest".
Russia exported six million tonnes of grains in 2003, despite bad weather reducing the harvest to just 67.2 million. That was significantly lower than the 17 million tonnes it exported in 2002 thanks to a bumper crop of 87 million.
Gordeyev said he expected cereal production and exports to soar over the next five years.
"The modernisation of the farming sector should enable Russia to produce between 110 and 120 million tonnes of grain and export between 20 and 30 million tonnes," he forecast.
After a decade of post-Soviet decline, Russia is clawing back the role as a breadbasket it enjoyed at the end of the 19th century but it still massively imports foodstuffs because of an inefficient agro-industrial sector.
Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov has made the development of the farming sector a government priority, primarily with the aim of boosting grain production.
Gordeyev said the Kremlin was keeping a close eye on world grain markets and was prepared to intervene if the price of wheat rose, adding that the agriculture ministry had set aside six billion rubbles (205 million dollars, 167 million euros) for such an eventuality.
The government intervened in the market during the 2002-03 farming year. And it imposed export duties on wheat exports from January to May 2004 to counter rising domestic prices, which had had the very unpopular effect of pushing up the price of bread.
"The price of bread won't rise faster than inflation this year," the minister promised.
In April Jean-Jacques Herve of the French agriculture ministry said the profit margin on Russian wheat export was insufficient to provide for the necessary investments, the sector was very endebted and had no means to expand.
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