October 8 2003, 14:12

Grain crop in Russia will be 74-74.5 million tonnes (initial weight) - ag. minister

The 2003 grain crop in Russia will constitute 74 to 74.5 million tonnes in initial weight. This forecast has been voiced by the countries Vice-Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture Aleksey Gordeyev at a news conference, AK&M agency informed. This would correspond to approximately 70 million tonnes of grain in final weight, the minister said.

The agriculture ministry has been calling this figure as a grain crop forecast starting from April this year. The minister has once again confirmed the grain export potential of Russia at about 5 million tonnes of grain.

According to the ministry, the area of winter crops for the 2004 crop will be not less than the area, sown last autumn.

The ministry has not decided upon expediency of performing commodity interventions as a price stabilising measure in grain market yet. It will come back to this issue in November, said the minister.