Russia will harvest at least 90 million tons of grain in 2012, with government spending on crop raising expected to increase four percent to 46.5 billion rubles ($1.5 billion), Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik said on Tuesday.
Russia’s strategic task is to sow spring crops on an area of 50.8 million hectares or 300,000 hectares more than last year, including 30.3 million hectares for grain and legume crops, she said.
“With favorable weather conditions, Russia will be able to harvest at least 90 million tons of grain crops,” she said.
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov has said Russia’s grain crop will exceed the 93.8 million tons harvested last year.
Russia banned wheat, barley and rye exports in August 2010 to ward off food price hikes after an extreme heatwave scorched more than one-third of the country's grain crop.
