March 23 2005, 16:26

Weather will delay planting campaign in Russia for two weeks

Due to long period of winter cold this year, spring sowing campaign in Russia will have to be started two weeks later than the usual terms, said Aleksey Gordeyev, Russia's Minister of Agriculture.

He said that the shift in fieldwork schedule would also affect the terms of harvest campaign.

Nevertheless, he said that the state winter crops in Russia was estimated as satisfactory, with only 4 to 5 percent of plantings being in a bad condition (this percentage is the lowest for the last 7 years).

This year's planted area of winter crops in Russia makes 14 million hectares - 1 million hectares up from 2004. Spring crops are supposed to be sown on the area of 50.1 million hectares, including 32.8 million hectares of grains and pulses.