Arkadiy Zlochevsky, the President of the Russian Grain Union (RGU), made a statement at a press conference, announcing that the RGU confirms its grain harvest forecast for this year - 125 million tons. He noted that this forecast still depends on weather conditions - how the spring unfolds and how adequate the soil moisture will be. Currently, the moisture reserves are insufficient, but it is not critical for the current winter.
However, Zlochevsky emphasized that the condition of winter crops has significantly improved: the proportion of crops in satisfactory condition has increased to 80-85%, compared to 35-38% at the beginning of winter when the condition of crops was poor. Despite this, there are risks associated with an approaching cold front that could have a negative impact on the crops if they are not covered by snow. Nevertheless, Zlochevsky is confident that the cold front will come after the snow that has already fallen. The current snow cover is 11 centimeters, which is sufficient to protect the crops at temperatures below -20 degrees.
In the southern part of the Central Federal District, abnormally cold weather is expected with temperatures dropping to minus 19 degrees. However, the recent snowfall will protect the winter crops from freezing. This will have a positive impact on the crop growth. Zlochevsky pointed out that the snow covering the crops will also help increase soil moisture reserves in the spring. However, 11 centimeters of snow cover are not enough to fully replenish the necessary moisture level. The further development of the situation will depend on the presence of rainfall and its intensity in the spring. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, winter crops are planned to be planted on an area of 20 million hectares, including grains on an area of 19.2 million hectares.
