Russia exports more than 14 million tonnes of grain ? ministry

MOSCOW. March 3. KAZINFORM Russia has exported 14.1 million tonnes of grain this agricultural year (from July 1, 2008 to July 1, 2009), the press service of the Russian Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.

Grain market experts believe that Russia is able to export about 18 million tonnes of grain in the aforesaid period. According to the Agriculture Ministry, the government had purchased 7.3 million tonnes of grain for 34.3 billion roubles (USD 1 = RUB 36.16) into the state intervention fund, the press service said. As of February 26, 4,760,600 tonnes of grain worth 22.4 billion roubles were transferred to grain storage facilities, while the storage of 4,485,800 tonnes of grain worth 21.2 billion roubles was paid for, the press service said. In the period from January 12 to February 26, the total amount of exchange deals for the regions, for which higher prices were established, reached 400,600 tonnes of grain, the press service said. In the European part of Russia, average prices for 3rd class wheat currently amount to 5,746 roubles per tonne, for 4th class wheat ? 4,680 roubles per tonne and for 5th class wheat ? 3,538 roubles per tonne, the press service said. As many as 1,815 agricultural producers from 38 Russian regions are accredited for trading, the press service said, adding that 433 grain storages with the total capacity of 12.8 million tonnes of grain were chosen. On Wednesday, President of the Russian Grain Union Arkady Zlochevsky said, ?Russia plans to export at least 18 million tonnes of grain this season, thus beating the record of 2002-2003.? In the above-mentioned years, Russia exported 17 million tonnes of grain, he added. ?If there are no additional programs to encourage grain export, we plan to sell at least 18 million tonnes of grain to foreign partners,? Zlochevsky said, adding that additional incentives may increase grain export to 20 million tonnes. ?Our competitors, Ukraine and several European countries, have already implemented their exports program, which gives us some certain advantages,? he said. In his opinion, the deterioration of the situation on the market caused by the decline of world grain prices and the hike of domestic prices may become the only limit to the export growth. At the same time, Zlochevsky forecasted stabilisation of grain prices in the country already in March. ?The prices will exceed the intervention ones and this will prevent further deterioration of the export situation,? Zlochevsky is confident, Kazinform cites ITAR-TASS.