14.05.09

Russia is now the world's fourth-largest grain exporter – after the USA, the EU, and Canada. It should move up to second place in the next few years. Russian grain is consumed in about 50 countries. Our accustomed partners (the Arab world, North Africa) have been joined this year by promising new partners such as Japan and Brazil.

Arkady Zlochevsky, president of the Russian Grain Association, says that despite any weather disturbances, Russia can expect another large harvest this year: around 100 million tons of grain.

At a May 12 press conference, Zlochevsky said that in the next harvest season, starting July 1, grain exports will be no smaller (and perhaps even larger) than in the current season. To date, Russia has exported an unprecedented quantity: over 17 million tons. The previous record, 15.8 million tons, was set in 2002-03. Zlochevsky adds that export activity may become even more intense between now and the end of the harvest year, pushing total exports as high as 20-21 million tons.

According to Zlochevsky, Russia is now the world's fourth-largest grain exporter - after the USA, the EU, and Canada. It should move up to second place in the next few years. Russian grain is consumed in about 50 countries. Our accustomed partners (the Arab world, North Africa) have been joined this year by promising new partners such as Japan and Brazil. Russia became a net exporter of grain in 2001, and is now trading in markets formerly dominated by the Americans and the Europeans.

But Zlochevsky warns that harvests which greatly exceed domestic consumption also carry certain risks. Global grain prices are swinging wildly.

The World Grain Forum, to be held in St. Petersburg on June 6-7, is supposed to develop common worldwide approaches to stabilizing grain market prices. The idea of holding this forum was proposed by President Dmitri Medvedev at the G-8 heads of state summit in Japan last summer.

Translated by InterContact.

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Source: Rossiiskaya Gazeta