Russia's Agriculture Ministry might cut its grain crop forecast from the current 100 million tonnes if dry and hot weather persists in several regions, it said on Thursday. Drought has damaged plantings on more than 1 million hectares in Volgograd, Saratov, Samara and Orenburg regions in Russia, the ministry's press-service told Reuters.
The ministry is currently reviewing the grain crop forecast, it said, but did not provide further details.
The ministry may cut the 2015 grain crop forecast by up to 5 million tonnes if dry and hot weather persists for the next week or two, Interfax news agency reported earlier on Thursday, citing ministry's official Pyotr Chekmarev.
Russia is one of the world's key wheat exporters to North Africa and the Middle East and last year had the second largest grain crop in its post-Soviet history of 105 million tonnes and exported a record amount of grains.
During the new 2015/16 marketing year, which started on July 1, the country may export 30.0 million tonnes of grain compared with 30.5 million tonnes in the previous year, RIA news agency quoted the Agriculture Ministry as saying on Thursday.
Wheat exports in the new year are expected to fall to 21 million tonnes from 21.7 million tonnes in 2014/15, the agency added.
While drought persists in several regions in Russia's Volga district, the country's southern regions, the most important for wheat growing and exports, have been hit by rainy weather, which delayed harvesting and may damage wheat quality.
Farmers have already harvested 2.1 million tonnes of grain from 542,000 hectares, down from 5.0 million tonnes at the same date a year earlier.
The lag will increase in the coming days and Russian grain exports in July and August may be lower than previously expected, Sovecon agriculture analysts said on Wednesday.
Grain yields are currently 3.90 tonnes per hectare compared with 3.78 tonnes a year ago.
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