Moscow / RU. (ami) To date, Russia sowed winter crops throughout the areas of 14 million hectares. In the terms of the execution of the planned sowing works in the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts, the general winter crops sowing areas for the harvest-2011 in Russia are expected at the level of 15,5 million hectares, declared Elena Skrynnik, the Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, on October 27.
Despite the complete readiness of several regions to provide the winter crops sowing campaign throughout the areas of 18 million hectares in the current year, the unfavourable weather conditions did not allow to make such steps in the range of regions of the Volga Federal District, including Volgograd oblast, underlined the Minister.
At the same time, the Minister marked that Russian agrarians managed to avoid the most pessimistic scenario of winter crops sowing campaign at the level of twelve million hectares, though several experts provided such forecasts at the end of August.
According to operative data, the Southern Federal District plans to provide the sowing works throughout the areas of over 100 percent compared to the previous year, the North Caucasian Federal District also over 100 percent. The Central Federal District sowed winter crops throughout 94 percent, the Volga 68,3 percent, the Urals 79 percent, the Siberian District 77 percent.
The forecasted winter grain production volumes in 2011 are expected at the level of nearly 40 million tonnes.
Skrynnik informed that taking into account the reduction of the autumn sowing areas by 16 percent compared to the planned areas, agrarians received the task to increase spring sowing areas from the level of 28,5 million hectares to 35 million hectares (up 23 percent).
Such steps will allow increasing grain production volumes in 2011 at the level of over 85 million tonnes, which will completely secure the domestic requirements of the country and restore the export potential, resumed the Head of the Ministry of Agriculture (source: agrimarket.info).
