Union expects Russia’s 2020–2021 grain exports at 46.5 mln tns

MOSCOW, Apr 5 (PRIME) -- Russia’s grain exports in the current agricultural year, which started on July 1, 2020 and will end on June 30, 2021, may reach 46.5 million tonnes, chairman of the board of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters Eduard Zernin said on Monday.

“This year’s export potential forecast amounted to 50 million tonnes. We will definitely fail to achieve the target due to exports restrictions, but the target of 46.5 million tonnes is realistic taking into account existing restrictions,” he said at roundtable talks organized by the Agriculture Ministry’s center for agricultural product exports Agroexport.

The current agricultural year is difficult because one the one hand, Russia harvested the second largest amount of grain in its history in 2020, while on the other hand, the government limited exports of grain by introducing an export quota and an export duty, he said.

Russia’s grain exports amounted to 41.7 million tonnes in the 2019–2020 agricultural year, including 33.2 million tonnes of grain. The Agriculture Ministry expects Russia’s grain exports to reach 45 million tonnes in the 2020–2021 agricultural year, including 35 million tonnes of wheat.

End %%md/jst%%