OREANDA-NEWS. August 19, 2010.  Russia may import 5 mn tons of grain in 2010-2011, a spokesperson affiliated with the Agriculture Ministry said. Earlier, the Agriculture Ministry projected grain imports to increase to 2.5-3 mn tons, up from 600,000 tons a year earlier. Vedomosti newspaper reported with reference to huge Russian grain exporters, that Russia planned to import grain from the CIS countries, primarily from Kazakhstan. An official at one of economic-related ministries confirmed that talks about grain imports were indeed ongoing: “We may indeed need to import grain.

The government is harboring this idea. However, no definite decision about import volumes has been takes so far. The issue is still under consideration”. Official spokesperson for the Agriculture Ministry, Oleg Aksyonov said that grain imports were in fact not an issue, and no negotiations on the subject were on the agenda. As of August 18, Russian agricultural producers gathered 40.1 mn tons of grain in bunker weight, i.e. before drying and clearing, down 14.7 mn tons from the year-earlier level.

The Agriculture Ministry predicts gross grain harvest in net weigh to total 60-65 mn tons this year, versus 97 mn tons in 2009. In order to satisfy Russia’s internal need for grain, exports in the current harvest year (July 2010-June 2011) should not exceed 2-4.5 mn tons in this case, the Ministry believes.