Rice harvest to exceed 1 million tons this year

In Russia, there are no problems with the provision of rice: its harvest this year will be 1.05-1.1 million tons, the volume of cereal production will be about 60% of the harvest. Igor Lobach, head of the Southern Rice Union, spoke about this during a press conference. According to him, this year the crops in the Krasnodar Territory alone occupied 109 thousand hectares instead of the planned 92 thousand hectares. Despite the fact that crops in Crimea died due to the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, the harvest obtained in the country will be enough to provide not only Russia (consumption is about 540 thousand tons per year), but also importers, although supplies to foreign markets are now limited.

Also during the press conference, Lobach said that thanks to the assistance of the Ministry of Agriculture, the cost of water for irrigation this year increased by only 10%, although in the past the rise in price was up to 40%. In addition, according to him, prices for fertilizers and fuels and lubricants are more or less stable. In this regard, there is no active growth in prices for cereals. So, in June of this year, the cost of 1 kg of rice was 70.1 rubles, a year ago - 67 rubles. (producer prices, specifications, 1st grade with VAT).

Now in Russia there is a ban on the export of rice. Lobach says it will not be removed until the agricultural crop reaches 1.15 million tons. “But this is not the worst option for producers. It is better to sow an extra 20,000 hectares like this year than to embark on the slippery slope of confrontation over exports,” he adds. Previously, usually exports were 180-240 thousand tons of rice, while 220 thousand tons were imported.

During the press conference, Lobach also said that the State Duma and the Federation Council supported the proposal of the National Seed Alliance on amendments to the legislation, which provide for the introduction of spatial isolation and special seed growing zones, now the wording is being agreed on how to separate them. At the moment, these norms are valid only in the Krasnodar Territory. Lobach explained that without such restrictions, the varietal qualities of seeds would be inferior to foreign ones.

The difficulty, according to him, lies in the fact that there is enough spatial isolation for sunflower and corn, while virus-free areas are needed for potatoes and vegetables, that is, there should not be potatoes nearby even in household plots. “We do not want to usurp anyone, we just ask for a certain order. Everyone who works on the land should have their own designated, published crop rotation, ”says Lobach. According to him, if this crop rotation is observed, then the seed grower will be able to adapt to it.