"We will meet the needs of the country, both for consumers and livestock," he said during a meeting with key members of the Russian government.
The minister said 96% of all grain has been threshed so far. "A total of 85 million tons will be collected this year," he added. "After processing it will come to about 79 million tons, slightly more than a year ago"
The minister said Russia would extend the total area set aside for winter crops to 15 million hectares.
Last year Russia exported about 11 million tons of grain.
Russia's Economic Development and Trade Ministry plans to introduce a 30% export duty on barley and 10% on wheat, which would mean they would both cost around 22 euros ($31.3) per metric ton by December 1.
"The aim [of introducing duties] is not to ban, but to limit export volumes," the head of the ministry's macroeconomic forecasting department, Andrei Klepach, said
German Gref, the previous economic development and trade minister, has, over the past two months, repeatedly spoken out in favor of introducing grain intervention as soon as possible. He described bread prices and the situation on the grain market as a major threat to the government's inflation target of 8%.
