| |  As of June 1, 2007, Russia's grain reserves amounted to 11.08 million tonnes, a 10.7% drop as compared with the same period of 2006, when the figure stood at 12.4 million tonnes.
According to Rosstat, the grain reserves of agricultural enterprises fell by 0.3 million tonnes to 4.86 million tonnes, a 6.4% decrease. The grain reserves of processing enterprises and the amount of grain stored in elevators dropped by 1 million tonnes to 6.2 million tonnes, a 13.8% decrease.
Russia produced 78.4 million tonnes of grain in 2006, compared with 78.2 million tonnes in 2005. According to the forecast of the Russian Agriculture Ministry, the country could harvest 76 million tonnes of grain this year. The ministry explains such a low harvest by the drought that hit a number of grain-producing regions this May, as well as the unfavorable weather during the harvest season in the Urals and Siberia.
"Alliance Media" News Agency, based on the story by "Interfax"
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Russia's grain reserves down 11% as of June 1
