Forecast rises for Russia’s 2021 wheat crop

MOSCOW, June 23 (Reuters) – Russian agriculture consultancy Sovecon said on Wednesday that it had raised its forecast for Russia’s 2021 wheat crop by 2.2 million tonnes to 84.6 million tonnes due to favourable weather and a larger sowing area.

Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, is expected to start harvesting this year’s grain crop in late June or early July.

“Weather in the Black Sea remains friendly for the new crop. Ample precipitation around the Black Sea in recent weeks improved the outlook for corn and wheat crop and offset consequences of the drought in Russia’s Siberia and Urals,” Andrey Sizov, the head of Sovecon, said in a note.

It expects yields in the southern region, Russia’s largest wheat producing and exporting area, to be close to a record high this year.

Sovecon currently expects Russia’s 2021 grain crop at 131.0 million tonnes, up 1.2 million tonnes from its previous estimate, it added.