Russia's AgMin still expects grain harvest to total 135 mln tonnes in 2025, forecast unchanged for now - minister

ST. PETERSBURG. Aug 8 (Interfax) - Russia's Agriculture Ministry has retained the forecast for the grain harvest to total 135 million tonnes in 2025 despite unfavorable weather conditions in a number of the country's regions.

"We are harvesting and hope to collect 135 million tonnes of grain owing to the professionalism of our people, our industry. We have not changed our forecasts to date," Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut told reporters after the opening ceremony of the 12th Russian Ploughing Championship in the Leningrad Region.

Lut said that the harvesting campaign has been proceeding with complications.

"The weather has been presenting surprises. There has been pouring rain in the central area and the Volga Federal District, and we have a very complicated situation with a drought in the southern area," Lut said.

Nevertheless, the harvest campaign is "steadily approaching its halfway point," she said. "About 40% of the area in our country has been harvested, we have already harvested more than 60 million tonnes of grain. In fact harvesting of all other crops is well underway," she said.

The Agriculture Ministry expects a wheat harvest of 90 million tonnes in 2025.

According to Rosstat data, Russia's grain harvest excluding the new regions totaled 125.9 million tonnes, including 82.6 million tonnes of wheat, in 2024. The Agriculture Ministry estimates the harvest including the new regions at 129.8 million tonnes.