ST. PETERSBURG, August 8. /TASS/. The Russian Agriculture Ministry keeps the grain harvest forecast at 135 mln metric tons for this year, Minister Oksana Lut said.

"As regards harvesting in this season, certainly, we have difficulties in this regard. We have strong rains in the center, in the Volga Federal District; we have the very difficult situation in the south due to drought. Nevertheless, owing to professionalism of our people, our sector, we are harvesting and hoping to have the grain harvest at the level of 135 mln tons. We do not change our forecasts in this regard thus far," she said.

Grain harvesting totaled more than 60 mln metric tons from the year start and it was completed at about 40% of areas, the minister noted. "All other crops are also being harvested proactively," Lut added.