Russian Grain Harvest Seen Down 16.7 Percent

Russia will harvest 90 MMT of grain in 2009, according to the Minister of Agriculture of Russia, Elena Skrynnik.

That's a reduction of 16.7% on last year's 108.1 MMT.

Russian exports of grains in the current 2008/09 MY will total a record of about 20 MMT, including 1 MMT of maize, she added.

Russia's previous grain exports record was reached in the 2002-2003 agricultural year when the country exported 15.8 MMT of grain. Last year, Russia exported 13.6 MMT of grain.

Spring grains have so far been planted on 27.5 million hectares, or 88% of the planned area, said the Ministry. That's 2 million hectares lower than in 2008.