Export of grain from the Crimea may cease because of drought

The authorities of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea will ask the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation to allow them to suspend the export of grain, biz.liga.net reports referring to Regnum.

"We are exporting grain to Iraq, Iran, Syria. About 6 thou. tons are already exported. Our specialists are preparing a letter with a request to suspend exports, and to redirect grain to our consumers, until we complete harvesting a new crop," says Andrei Ryumshin, the Head of the so-called Agriculture Ministry of Crimea.

According to him, there are about 200 thou. tons of grain harvested in the past years in the reserves of the peninsula. There is also an intervention fund, where 112 thou. tons of grain are stored.

By the information of the Ministry, because of drought in this season, the Crimea lost 500 thou. tons of grain, having harvested only 840 thou. tons, while in 2017 the gross harvest of early grains was 1.73 million tons, in 2016 — 1.45 million tons.