In the regions of the Russian Federation affected by spring frosts, the resowing of agricultural crops is coming to an end. It is expected that the structure of areas will be maintained overall," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev announced at the opening of the All-Russian Grain Forum. According to him, this will allow to maintain the grain production forecast at a level of no less than 132 million tons, of which around 85 million tons are wheat. With this volume, taking into account carryover stocks in the new season, up to 60 million tons of grain will be exported to external markets.
Speaking about the start of the new season, Patrushev noted that the area sown with spring crops exceeded 45 million hectares, which is almost 80% of the planned area. In a few weeks, some regions of the South and the North Caucasus will be able to start harvesting the new crop.
The Deputy Prime Minister reminded that Russian farmers harvested almost 150 million tons of grain in 2023. Thus, Russia confirmed its status as one of the leaders in the global market. The country accounted for 12% of the world's wheat volume, which helped to achieve self-sufficiency goals and continue the development of exports.
In the current season, it is planned to export up to 70 million tons of grain to global markets, of which around 53 million tons are wheat. According to Patrushev, in 2023 Russia gratuitously sent 200 thousand tons of grain to African countries and once again proved to be a reliable partner. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that despite sanctions and the departure of foreign traders from the market, Russia is not reducing but increasing its exports. Every fourth batch of wheat in the global market comes from Russia.
However, priority attention is given to domestic needs. A ban on the export of durum wheat was introduced in December 2023, and in January of the current year, the ban on rice exports was extended. In addition, the implementation of a mechanism for tariff quota regulation of grain exports continues. The government has provided a set of measures to support the financial stability of farmers.
Currently, prices on global markets and within the country are gradually stabilizing. The sub-commission on customs and tariff regulation made a decision on the next adjustment of duty calculations. The basic export prices used in the calculation will be increased by 1,000 rubles for all types of grain," Patrushev said.
Speaking about the industry's priority tasks, including increasing exports, he noted that the prospects for international market deliveries depend directly on opportunities in the field of agro logistics. It is necessary to develop it in the direction of expanding storage and transshipment capabilities, increasing the throughput of railway infrastructure, developing internal waterways and river navigation, and creating a domestic dry cargo fleet.
Other promising areas include the use of exchange trading in the grain market and a new initiative to establish a grain exchange at the BRICS level, which could become a platform for trading in grains and other foodstuffs.