KISLOVODSK, November 13. /TASS/. Russia is beating the United States in grain sales, making Washington take losses, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said on Monday.

"I think that American farmers are feeling under the weather amid the huge harvest in Russia, which will be about 130 mln tonnes. On some markets, we’ve pushed the Americans aside, and certainly, they are suffering losses, so we’re just overjoyed about this," the minister said, noting that this situation is favorable for Russia’s agricultural producers.

"Today, there is the task to make the price acceptable for all of Russia," he said, stressing that 130 mln tonnes is not the maximum figure. "It is most important to find new markets to sell to."

The Wall Street Journal earlier wrote that prices for US wheat have dropped on markets. According to the newspaper, the US Wheat Associates will be closing its office in Cairo, Egypt due to the surge in Russia’s grain harvest.

Russia among three top grain exporters

In the agricultural year of 2016-2017, which ended on June 30, Russia had exported a record high of 35.5 mln tonnes of grain, mostly wheat (27.1 mln tonnes).

According to the US Department of Agriculture, last season the US exported 28.1 mln tonnes of wheat. So, Russia lost its global leading positions on wheat to the US, but remained among the world’s top three producers.

In the agricultural year of 2015-2016, Russia exported 24.6 mln tonnes of wheat, becoming a global leader. However, the Russian Agriculture Ministry had failed to live up to its expectations for this status in 2016-2017.