Russia harvested a record oilseed crop of 5.72 million tonnes last year, compared with 5.56 million tonnes in 2003, according to a recently published final official 2004 crop estimate. Strong domestic demand for oilseeds coupled with a delay in a large-scale spring grain sowing is very likely to result in an increase of the area to be sown with sunseeds this year. A slight decrease in the output of sunseeds, the major oilseed crop in Russia, was offset with a bumper output of soybean and winter rapeseed, minor oilseed crops.
The 2004 soybean production surged to 0.555 million tonnes, or by 41 percent from 2003. This is the highest harvest since 1991.
Production increased in the Far Eastern district (from 0.25 to 0.34 million tonnes) as well as in the Southern district (from 0.13 to 0.21 million tonnes).
Very good winter conditions in 2003/04 resulted in a record high output of winter rapeseed, which jumped to 0.15 million tonnes in 2004 from 0.045 million tonnes in 2003.
Better yields accounted for the rise in the oilseed production.
Despite the record high oilseed output, Russia has practically stopped sunseed exports. In October-January 2004/05, exports were just 1,415 tonnes compared with 267,052 tonnes over the same period of last season.
Negligible sunseed exports reflect rather high domestic prices established due to firm demand from the developing domestic crushing industry. Its dynamic growth is expected to favour an increase in the oilseed sowings this spring.
Serious delays in the sowing of spring grains due to unusually late spring may also stimulate an expansion of the sunseed plantings at the expense of grain area in southern regions.
SovEcon currently forecasts Russia's total sunseed area in 2005 at the range of 4.8-5.0 million hectares, compared with 4.84 million hectares last year. If the delays in the spring grain sowing continue, Russia's sunseed area may slightly exceed a five million hectare mark.
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