Russia's agriculture ministry upgraded its 2014 grain harvest forecast to 100 million tonnes, up 3 percent compared to the previous estimate, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The revision was due to dry weather which is speeding up the harvesting campaign, a ministry representative told Reuters. It had previously expected 2014 crop at 97 million tonnes of grains.
The estimate is the most optimistic view provided so far by grain harvest forecasters for the one of the world's main wheat exporters via the Black Sea. "Russia can pass the 100-million mark for the grain harvest," Russian Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov was quoted as saying by the ministry during a meeting with officials.
Russia has harvested 20.1 million tonnes of grains so far in bunker weight from 12 percent of the planned area with yields of 3.55 tonnes per hectare. This is compared with 25.3 million tonnes of grains and yields of 3.08 tonnes per hectare at the same date a year ago. The Crimea region, annexed by Russia from Ukraine earlier this year, has harvested more than 1 million tonnes of grains from 87 percent of the area, the ministry said.