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Putin forecasts Russia’s grain output at 120 mln tons, export at 30-40 mln tons by 2020

Russia makes its weighty contribution in the stable food supplies to the markets of the Asia-Pacific Region
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

VLADIVOSTOK, September 7 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the strengthening of the food security is the top priority of the Russian APEC year. He also forecasts a significant hike of the country’s grain output and export in the current decade.

“Russia makes its weighty contribution in the stable food supplies to the markets of the Asia-Pacific Region. Proceeding from estimates, our country’s annual grain production will be at 120-125 million tonnes by 2020. And its export capacity will go up to 30-35 million tonnes, or maybe even to 40 million tonnes a year,” Putin said at the APEC Business Summit on Friday, adding, “The present-day export potential of Russia is at 15 to 20 million tonnes of grain a year.”

“According to the Russian Agriculture Ministry, the country’s farmers will gather 70-75 million tonnes of grain this year. Russia’s grain export is projected at 10-14 million tonnes,” the president said.

“The availability of food is not only the economic matter, but also the matter of social importance. This is a question of the future for the millions of people. More than billion people in the world are hungry,” he said.

“We are not going to focus only on the food export,” Putin said, adding, “It is of our common interest to promote mutual investments in agriculture, in the development of the sustainable farming zones and in the implementation of other agricultural projects on the basis of high technologies.”

The Russian president also added that it is important to step up closer cooperation in the protection and efficient use of the Pacific Ocean’s biological resources.