Putin: 'Russia must be an agricultural superpower'

"The Russian agricultural sector has changed dramatically in recent years. It has become a locomotive of the Russian economy," Putin said in a speech in Krasnodar (in southwestern Russia) on March 12. Exports of agricultural products have increased 2000 times since 16.

Western sanctions
"The Europeans and Americans have given us the opportunity to further expand our agricultural production through the many trade sanctions," Putin continued. This concerns the sanctions following the annexation from Crimea. "It means that Russia today is completely self-sufficient in its food needs."

The strong increase in agricultural production is also reflected in grain. Grain production reached 2017 million tons in 135. Russia has thus broken the record set in 1978, when the Soviet Union had larger cultivated areas. Of the 135 million tons of grain mentioned, 85 million tons are wheat.

Forecasts
A slightly smaller grain harvest is expected for the coming season (128 million tons). This is mainly due to the good weather conditions. At the moment, the sowing of Russian grain crops is lagging far behind due to a cold spring. However, the grain stocks in Russia do not lie; there are almost 53 million tons in stock.

Russian grain prices are currently rising. This is because there is a lot of demand from importing countries, such as Egypt and Turkey. The price for Russian feed wheat is currently at the highest level since April 2015. In addition, the price of Russian milling wheat is rising to $210 per tonne FOB (free on board).

Controversial measures
That Russia sometimes controversial measures is undeniable to become the new agricultural superpower. For example, the reasoning behind almost every boycott is questioned. Putin achieved another major victory in the Russian elections on Sunday, March 18, with more than 75% of the votes.