Russia 2010 Grain Harvest Seen Down 3-6 Mln Tons On Drought

Russia's grain harvest this year is likely to be 3 million-6 million metric tons lower than the earlier estimates of 90 million-93 million tons because of drought in the country's Southern and Central regions.

The concern was voiced at the government meeting late Tuesday chaired by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, according to the government press service.

Especially great damage to crops is being reported by the Republic of Tatarstan, where a state of emergency has been imposed after crops had been destroyed on 900,000 hectares out of the total 2.93 million hectares.

Neighboring Bashkorostan also reports damage to crops on 952,000 hectares.

At the government meeting Tuesday Putin said unusually hot and dry weather was damaging crops in Volgograd, Voronezh, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk and Orenburg regions, all of them major grain producing areas, as well as in Tatarstan and Bashokorstan.

Source: CME Group