28 May 2004 18:33
Russian agriculture minister sees boom in grain production
Lipetsk, 28 May: Domestic grain prices in Russia make it possible to talk about the start of "a real boom in
grain production", Minister of Agriculture Aleksey Gordeyev told journalists in Lipetsk today.
He said "domestic grain prices have pretty much caught up with world prices", which makes this sector quite
attractive for investment, since one tonne of food grain costs about 200 dollars on the world market. In Russia it costs
a bit less at the moment, "which will undoubtedly attract investors".
A harvest of between 73 and 75 million tonnes is expected this year. But it is worth bearing in mind that Russian
granaries can produce up to 120 million tonnes, and "the Russian government has set this task", the minister
said. Achieving this level will allow farmers in Russia to play their role in ensuring the country's food security
and to make profits that can be used to strengthen other branches of agricultural production, Aleksey Gordeyev said.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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