The largest grain harvest in the world is expected in Russia

Warm winters and spring rains in Russia are projected to boost grain harvests to a record high this year, according to market researchers in Moscow.

Farmers are expected to harvest 109.3 million tonnes of grain this year, surpassing a record 108.2 million tonnes in 2008. The figure was 104.8 million tons last year. Increases in corn yields are expected to peak as expected and offset the effect of declines in wheat and barley production from 2008 levels.

Yields were helped by heavy rainfall in the south and drier conditions for crops in the Urals and Siberia. It is expected that Russia will be able to harvest 63.3 million tons of wheat this year. This is the second largest volume after a record level of 63.8 million tonnes harvested in 2008. Last year, the wheat harvest amounted to 61.8 million tons. At the same time, the loss of wheat during the winter was 6.1 percent, about 1 percent lower than in the previous year.

Rains are hampering operations in areas of central and southern Russia, potentially reducing the area planted for maize while increasing potentially higher yields. Farmers can harvest 14 million tons of this grain, up from 13.2 million tons last year. The barley harvest may increase to 18 million tons from 17.5 million tons last year.