FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 02/02 - RUSSIAN FEDERATION (1 February)

Grain harvest in 2001 was estimated at nearly 85 million tonnes compared with about 65 million tonnes in 2000. Higher yields, lower winter-kill and a small increase in area were the main reasons for higher production in 2001. This included 47 million tonnes of wheat, 19 million tonnes of barley, 6 million tonnes of rye and 8 million tonnes of oats. Maize production declined to about 830 000 tonnes in 2001 compared with 1.5 million tonnes in 2000 due to prolonged hot and dry weather in July/August and rainy weather in October.

Most of the winter cereals were planted before the harsh winter frost could damage large areas of crops. The government plans to increase area sown to winter cereals, in particular wheat and barley, by about 10 percent compared with 2001. Therefore, it is likely that winter cereal harvest this year will be at least as high as the harvest in 2001.

Cereal exports in 2001/02 marketing year are estimated at more than 4 million tonnes while cereal imports are estimated at about 2.8 million tonnes. In 2000/01 marketing year, Russia imported about 2.6 million tonnes and exported 1.2 million tonnes of cereals. Despite a record high cereal production since the Soviet era, exports have not increased proportionately due to increased non-food domestic consumption of cereals and lack of port facilities to handle large quantities of cereals. Cereal exports this year includes 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 1.5 million tonnes of barley, while imports include 1.2 million tonnes of maize, 900 000 tonnes of wheat, 250 000 tonnes of barley and 150 000 tonnes of rye.

Civil strife and military operations in Chechnya continue to disrupt normal life and agricultural activities. WFP and some international NGOs continue to provide supplementary food and non-food assistance to internally displaced and most vulnerable populations in the North Caucasus. WFP plans to distribute emergency food aid to 310 000 beneficiaries in Ingushetia and Chechnya. This emergency programme, which started on 1 January 2001 is expected to continue until 30 June 2002 by then about 65 000 tonnes of food aid would have been distributed to about 270 000 internally displaced and food insecure vulnerable people.