Russia set to reap largest-ever wheat harvest

Russia is expecting a bumper crop this year, including a record wheat harvest, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, citing preliminary data.

“A good harvest is expected this year. According to experts – of course, these are preliminary estimates – grain harvest can reach 130 million tons, including 87 million tons of wheat,” Putin said, noting that “this can become a record [wheat harvest] in the entire history of Russia.”

According to the Russian president, such a result “will allow not only to meet domestic needs with a margin, but also to increase supplies to the global market for our partners, which is very important for the world food markets.”

Putin added that a number of countries are facing the threat of famine, pointing out that the blame for that lies entirely on “the Western elites.”

Russia’s largest grain harvest was recorded in 2017, which came in at 135.5 million tons, including 86 million tons of wheat.

In 2020, the figure was 133.5 million tons of grain (including 85.9 million tons of wheat). Last year, the harvest stood at 121.4 million tons (with 76 million tons of wheat).

Russia is projected to retain its leadership in the world's wheat market in the coming years.

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