MOSCOW, RUSSIA — Despite a large Russian crop, the nation’s agriculture ministry said the grain export quota used in April through June during the coronavirus pandemic is still relevant, Reuters reported.
Russian officials have said they could set a grain export quota for January through June 2021 in order to secure domestic supplies.
“Despite good prospects of harvest, the mechanism of non-tariff quotas for grain exports remains relevant and the agriculture ministry plans to improve and apply this measure in the future,” the agriculture ministry said.
Oksana Lut, the deputy agriculture minister, told the largest exporters of Russian grain about it during a meeting on Sept. 28. No further details were provided on the possible quota.
On social media, the Russian Union of Grain Exporters said the quota would not be restrictive in the current marketing season, Reuters said.
Russia is one of the world’s largest wheat exporters and is expected to harvest its largest grain crop since a record 2017. Farmers already have harvested 121.8 million tonnes of grain.