UPDATE: Syria, Jordan start grain imports from Russia in 2016-17

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MOSCOW, Jan 27 (PRIME) -- Syria imported 48,000 tonnes of barley and Jordan 12,500 tonnes of corn from Russia in the 2016-2017 farming year, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The ministry project exports to the region at over 56 million tonnes of grain, including 25.3 million tonnes of wheat, 16.5 million tonnes of corn, 14.6 million tonnes of barley.

Turkey, Egypt and Bangladesh are Russia’s top three grain importers.

On Thursday, a delegation of the Agriculture Ministry met with representatives of the agricultural ministry of the Philippines in Manila to discuss cooperation and possible expansion of Russian grain exports from the current 16,500 tonnes of wheat and 63 tonnes of malt. The Philippine’s grain import market is estimated at 5 million tonnes annually.

The Philippines said there are no barriers to raise the imports and expressed interest in exporting several types of exotic fruit to this country.

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