Lack of moisture creates problems for sowing winter crops in Russia, said the Minister of Agriculture.

In this year, sowing and cultivating winter cereals are complicated by a lack of moisture, said Oksana Lut, the Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. She noted that this work is being carried out in difficult conditions: "We plan to sow 20 million hectares, as we did last year, but we are sowing almost on sand." Lut emphasized that in several regions where winter crops are located, there has been no rain since April. Therefore, planting is done in hopes of snow and rain. The Minister called on everyone to go to church and pray to the prophet Elijah to bring rain and a bountiful harvest. She also mentioned that the total area of winter cereal planting will be 20 million hectares, but the success of cultivation will depend on the availability of water and rainfall.

Oksana Lut reported that this year Russia faced various natural phenomena. "First, we encountered return freezes, then a drought began and continues to this day. In some regions, there has been no rain since April. In addition, weather disturbances occurred in Siberia, which led to the impossibility of harvesting for several weeks. Locusts also flew to us, and in the south, a sandy wind struck, burying the winter crop plantings that were not harvested," the minister said. She added that it is unknown if there have been similar years before when so many natural phenomena occurred at once.

Lut pointed out that one of the current tasks is to study the influence of biotechnologies on the climate. "We must not lag behind in this dangerous and unregulated area. We need to control the climate using biotechnologies and study how by using them they affect the climate. We cannot afford to remain indifferent in this area, other countries are already working on this issue, which may affect us. We must be vigilant and not allow this," Lut said.