Oksana Luth: Over 32 Million Tons of Grain Harvested in Russia; Harvest Forecast to be Adjusted

According to Oksana Luth, the Russian Minister of Agriculture, the gross grain harvest has exceeded 32 million tons. While the forecast for this year’s harvest remains unchanged, it will be adjusted as the harvest proceeds due to weather conditions and other challenges, reports the TASS news agency.

“We faced numerous challenges during the sowing period. Literally speaking, we’ve seen it all: water, spring frost, drought, and even locusts, which are still present. We also anticipate several challenges during the harvest, including tough weather conditions. This can affect the volume of rye. Therefore, we will adjust our forecast as the harvest progresses,” Oksana Luth told reporters.

She said that weather conditions have been very tough this year, which is why the harvesting campaign is proceeding at a greater pace than last year. “At the moment, we’ve harvested more than 32 million tons of grains. The main harvest will start around the end of July. We haven’t changed the forecast for grains so far. It still remains at 132 million tons,” stated the minister.

In 2024, due to the heat, the harvesting campaign started one and a half to two weeks ahead of schedule in key agricultural regions of Russia. Although the harvest will be smaller than last year’s record, it will still be sufficient to meet domestic demand, experts said earlier.

The Ministry of Agriculture has forecasted that 132 million tons of grain, including 86 million tons of wheat, will be harvested in 2024. In 2023, Russian farms of all types harvested 144.925 million tons of grain, which is 8.1% less than in 2022. Of this amount, 92.826 million tons were wheat, representing a decrease of 10.9%.