Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut stated that the harsh frosts did not have a significant impact on Russia’s grain harvest volumes, as the country was able to reseed most of the affected farmland.
Lut said the ministry maintains a forecast of 132 million metric tons for the grain harvest in 2024, with 86 million metric tons being wheat, but noted the forecast may be adjusted later.
The minister cited very dry weather in southern and central regions of Russia over the past month and a half, which could significantly impact their expectations.
The Russian state weather forecaster expects unfavorable conditions for crops due to hot weather in the south of the European part of the country until the end of June.
The agriculture ministry estimates crop losses from May frosts at about 1 million hectares, or 1.2% of the total sown area for the 2024 harvest, with another 700,000 hectares suffering varying degrees of damage.
Russia has almost completed the sowing campaign and started harvesting the new crop in the southern regions.
IKAR, a Russian agricultural consultancy, has raised its forecast for the 2024 wheat crop by 0.5 million tons to 82 million metric tons.
Russia Reseeds Most Frost-Affected Crop Areas, Says Agriculture Minister