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Russia seeks to hold on to position of top global wheat exporter

Russia will continue boosting food trade both with Saudi Arabia and other priority markets in the future, the minister said

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MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. Russia plans to retain the position of the biggest global wheat exporter, press service of the Agriculture Ministry reported with reference to Minister Dmitry Patrushev on Friday.

"Russia will continue boosting food trade both with Saudi Arabia and other priority markets in the future, due to which we particularly plan to retain the position of the biggest global wheat exporter," the minister said.

Russia supplied the first batch of wheat to Saudi Arabia in early April, which Patrushev believes has become an important step in development of trade relations between the two countries. "Last year’s talks at the level of heads of agriculture agencies became a breakthrough in that direction allowing expansion of the cooperation potential as we managed to open the market of one of the biggest Middle Eastern wheat consumers for domestic exporters," Patrushev said.

The US Department of Agriculture downgraded earlier Russia's wheat export outlook for this agriculture year (from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020) to 33.5 mln tonnes from 35 mln tonnes. The downgrade is connected with low supply rates and quotas on export of certain grain crops set by the Russian government that will expire at the end of June. The Russian Agriculture Ministry projects grain export of 45 mln tonnes, with 36 mln tonnes of wheat.

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