Russia’s grain exports to the countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have already increase twofold in the current agricultural year, Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement on Monday.
The current agricultural year in Russia lasts from July 1, 2016 until June 30, 2017.
“The preliminary analysis of Russian grain export in 2016/2017 (from July to December 2016) has already shown a twofold growth in volumes,” the watchdog said in a statement.
In this period, Russia delivered about 587,000 tonnes of grain to the region, in particular 467,000 tonnes of wheat and 118 tonnes of corn.
According to the regulator, the forecast of grain imports by the countries of ASEAN increased to 38 mln tonnes.
Considering that in 2016 Russia’s grain harvest exceeded 119 mln tonnes, the country may export 40 mln tonnes in this agricultural year, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said. But currently the ministry’s official forecast is 35 mln tonnes.
In 2015, Russia harvested 104.8 mln tonnes of grain and exported 33.9 mln tonnes in the previous agricultural year.
The record grain harvest in Russia was registered in 2008, when farmers gathered 108.1 mln tonnes. In the days of the Soviet Union, grain harvest on the territory of modern Russia was bigger. For reference, in 1978 it totaled 127.8 mln tonnes, which became possible thanks to vast crop areas.
ASEAN member-states are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.