Russia aims to increase grain harvest in 2014

“This year we need to collect about 95 million tons of grain, and we need to harvest 55 million tonnes of wheat. These are the goals I have set” – he said.

Russia harvested 30% more grain in 2013 than a year earlier, the national statistics agency Rosstat reported recently. According to the report, the country harvested 89.3 mln tonnes of grain in clean weight compared with 68.7 mln tonnes harvested in 2012.

Rosstat said wheat harvest in 2013 was 52.1 mln tonnes, including winter wheat and spring wheat, in clean weight compared with 37.7 mln tonnes in 2012. Wheat average yield in 2013 was 2.23 tonnes a hectare compared with 1.77 tonnes/ha in 2012.

Corn harvest was 10.7 mln tonnes, compared with 8.2 million tonnes in 2012, with the average yield rising to 5.04 tonnes /ha from 4.24 tonnes/ha in 2012. Barley harvest was 15.4 mln tonnes, compared with 14 million tonnes in 2012, with the average yield rising to 1.92 tons/ha from 1.82 tonnes/ha in 2012.