Sowing Campaign in Russia Is about to Finish and Expected to Be Completed by June 10

The sowing campaign in Russia is coming to an end, with almost 90% of the area being occupied by spring crops, and in a week some regions of the South and North Caucasus are to start harvesting a new crop, as stated by Russian Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut during the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the government.

“Currently, the sowing campaign in the country is coming to an end. As of June 4, almost 50 million hectares have been sown with spring crops, which reaches 90% of the planned area,” the minister said.

She mentioned that due to difficult weather conditions, there is a slight lag in the pace of sowing. “We are about 1–2 days behind, but by June 10 all sowing must be completed,” the head of the Ministry of Agriculture emphasized.

The total sown area, including winter and spring crops, will be increased by 300 thousand hectares, to 84.5 million hectares in 2024.

As for the provision of farmers with production resources and means, the need for seeds has been completely covered (this year, priority has been given to domestic selection), the situation with the availability of plant protection products remains stable, and the purchase of mineral fertilizers is proceeding as usual: farmers have already purchased 2.8 million tons since the beginning of the year, 74 thousand tons more than last year.

Fuels and lubricants are less expensive than during the period of peak growth in September last year; there has been no information from the regions about fuel shortages or interruptions in its supplies, Oksana Lut also reported. Rosagroleasing’s preferential programs also continue to operate: the company has already supplied about 8 thousand units of agricultural machinery.

“The provision of farmers with basic resources is being specially controlled over; close attention is paid to this within the framework of the operational headquarters and during on-site meetings. No disruptions are allowed,” the minister concluded.