Forecast for buckwheat sowing remains stable, but prices continue to fall, impacting agricultural producers.

In mid-April, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the forecast for the buckwheat sowing area this year. It is expected that the areas under this crop will exceed 1.2 million hectares, which corresponds to last year's level. The Ministry of Agriculture actively monitors the buckwheat market as it is a socially important product, and is interested in price stability and product availability in stores.

One of the factors influencing the buckwheat sowing volumes is the weather. Buckwheat is a late-sown crop and often serves as a backup option when it is too late to sow other crops. In the past two years, the lack of precipitation in April and early June in the Altai Territory made the soil unsuitable for the planned crops. In such cases, buckwheat serves as an alternative, as its optimal sowing time before mid-June allows for harvesting in the autumn.

The President of the Union of Grain Processors of Altai, Valery Gachman, notes that buckwheat is sown in the Altai Territory from June 5 to 10. Before this period, frosts are possible in the region, especially in the foothill areas of the Altai Territory, where buckwheat is widely cultivated. He expects that the area under buckwheat will be slightly reduced in Altai due to a more than 50% price decrease since the beginning of the season. Nevertheless, the reduction in areas will be insignificant because it is profitable to grow buckwheat in some foothill areas of the region where it yields a good harvest. Another reason for not expecting a significant reduction in buckwheat sowings this year is that the planting map is created in the autumn, and stocks of seeds, plant protection products, and fertilizers are prepared for the planned crops.

In Bashkortostan, buckwheat sowings are planned to be reduced. If last year buckwheat was sown on 80 thousand hectares in 50 out of 54 districts in the republic, which is one-third more than this year, then in the current season, the area under buckwheat in the region will decrease by approximately 3% compared to 2023.

The agricultural enterprise "Elan" from the Orenburg region used to grow buckwheat in large volumes, from 700 to 1000 hectares. However, due to the price decrease making it unprofitable, the company started to reduce its buckwheat sowings. In the last two seasons, including the current one, the company allocates no more than 200 hectares for buckwheat.

The total stocks of buckwheat at the processing plants and agricultural producers in Russia currently amount to over 300 thousand tons, which is a record value and represents approximately half of the required volume for the production of buckwheat groats for the domestic market. Just a few years ago, buckwheat was considered a high-margin crop. However, prices have decreased: in spring 2022, it was priced at 60 thousand rubles per ton, in August-September 2023 - 25-30 thousand rubles per ton, and in winter 2024 - 15-17 thousand rubles per ton.

The average prices of buckwheat from producers from September last year to March of the current year decreased by more than a third - from 42.5 thousand rubles per ton to 26.8 thousand rubles per ton. Retail prices also decreased. In May, wholesale and consumer prices for buckwheat groats continued to decline. As of May 8, wholesale prices for first-grade buckwheat groats were 33.5 thousand rubles per ton, while in April they were 33.6 thousand rubles per ton. A year ago, buckwheat groats in the first quarter cost 41.7 thousand rubles per ton.

According to the CEO of the analytical company "ProZerno" Vladimir Petrichenko, prices for buckwheat and buckwheat groats have been quite stable in the past few seasons. Buckwheat prices are quite low, and no price increase is expected this and next seasons due to the large inventories. However, if the buckwheat harvest decreases more significantly than expected, it may increase demand for it, considering market expansion.

Currently, there is a price increase for traditional cereals such as wheat, barley, and corn due to the predicted crop reduction. A review of prices for late crops, including buckwheat, is not currently relevant, but the overall price increase may eventually affect them, according to Petrichenko's forecast.