Russia has achieved a new record in grain output this year, harvesting 150 million tons to date, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Wednesday.
As harvesting is coming to an end across the country, the agricultural sector has shown an excellent result this year, which will increase the level of Russia’s food security, Mishustin said at a government meeting.
There were notable increases in the yield of potatoes, greenhouse vegetables, fruits, soybeans and rapeseed compared to the same period last year, he said.
According to Mishustin, the Russian government allocated about 380 billion rubles (roughly 6.2 billion U.S. dollars) earlier this year to fund the country’s agricultural development.
Also on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Indonesian President Joko Widodo during a phone call that Russia is ready to ship “considerable amounts” of grain to the poorest countries free of charge as humanitarian aid.
Russia’s strong wheat harvest contrasts with poor prospects in other global breadbaskets. While the US and Argentine wheat crops are suffering amid drought conditions, Australia’s crop, which is nearing harvest, is battling excessive rains that could reduce the quality of their grain.
