Russia may sow less areas of 22g with winter crops due to rains
(Reuters) Russia’s winter grain sowing may be more modest this year than last year as heavy rains replace dry weather in the country’s central and southern regions, analysts say.
Russia is the world’s largest exporter of wheat with deliveries to Africa and the Middle East.
Sowing of winter crops has already been carried out on an area of 8.6 million hectares, which is 1.5 million hectares less than the sowing area for the same period in 2021, SovEcon noted. According to him, a week ago, the gap is 1.1 million hectares.
“This is the largest area (sowing) this week since 2013.
In the Central sector of farmers, sowing of winter grains is only 2.0 million hectares, which is 0.9 million hectares less than last year, in the south of the country – on an area of 2.0 million hectares, or 0.7 million less.
Farmers in the central regions cannot start sowing on parts of the fields due to rain, said Dmitry Rylko, head of IKAR. In other parts of the fields, they expect late crops – soybeans and sunflowers – before they can move on to sowing winter opportunities.
Winter wheat accounts for about 70% of the crop in the Russian Federation, it has a higher yield and has a less significant impact on the result than spring wheat.
In the south of Russia, the sowing of winter grains may continue until November is delayed. The optimal sowing time in the center of the country ends in mid-October.
According to Sizov, some farmers are thinking or planning to reduce winter wheat plantings this year because they feel that the tastes are too small in relation to their costs. They can accommodate wheat soybeans.
SovEkon writes that rains continue this week in the center and the Volga region, but dry weather is expected in the south. (Pauline Devitt)