Only 25% of Russia’s 2024 Wheat Harvest Qualifies as Grade 3: A Sign of the Season’s Challenges
The 2024 wheat harvest in Russia is marked by a combination of delayed sowing, unfavorable weather, and lower-than-expected quality. Regions bordering Kazakhstan, such as Omsk, Kurgan, and Chelyabinsk, are seeing particularly slow harvest progress, leading to concerns about the final quality and yield of the crop. As of late August, these regions are significantly behind in harvesting compared to last year, raising alarms among farmers and agronomists.
Slow Harvest Progress and Weather Impact
In 2024, Russian wheat farmers are struggling to keep up with last year’s harvest pace due to late planting and challenging weather conditions, particularly heavy rainfall. For example, in the Omsk region, only 107,000 hectares had been harvested by August 26, compared to 273,000 hectares by the same date in 2023. Similar delays are observed in the Kurgan, Chelyabinsk, and Tyumen regions, where harvests are far below last year’s levels.
Despite these delays, there are a few regions showing better results. For instance, the Novosibirsk region has harvested 158,000 hectares, surpassing last year’s 98,000 hectares. The Altai Krai also shows improved harvest rates with 628,000 hectares harvested compared to 439,000 hectares in 2023.
Yield and Quality: A Mixed Picture
While the pace of the harvest has slowed, early yields in some regions appear promising. For example, the Omsk region is reporting yields of 16.1 centners per hectare, compared to just 10.3 centners per hectare last season. In the Kurgan region, yields have nearly doubled from 15.6 to 38.6 centners per hectare, and the Altai Krai is also seeing an increase from 15.8 to 21.3 centners per hectare.
However, these yields reflect the early crops harvested before the August rains. As the harvest season progresses, the quality of the wheat is at risk. Higher moisture levels in the fields have led to the rapid growth of weeds and the beginning of sprouting in the grain, which could further degrade the wheat’s quality if the harvest is delayed further.
Quality Classification: A Decline in Grade 3 Wheat
The biggest concern for Russian wheat farmers this year is the quality classification of their harvest. According to the Grain Quality Assessment Center, only 25% of the 32 million tons of wheat inspected so far has qualified as Grade 3 wheat, which is typically used for food production. The majority of the crop—51%—has been classified as Grade 4, which is of lower quality, while 24% falls into the Grade 5 category, often used for animal feed and industrial purposes.
This represents a significant challenge for Russian grain processors, especially those in regions bordering Kazakhstan. With domestic wheat quality declining, some processors are already considering importing high-protein (hi-pro) wheat from Kazakhstan to blend with local grain for flour production. This adds to the cost and complexity of maintaining production standards in the face of ongoing climatic challenges.
Desiccation and the Cost of Harvesting
Farmers are also considering the use of desiccation—applying chemicals to dry out crops for faster harvesting—as a possible solution to speed up the harvest. However, desiccation comes with high costs, which could further squeeze profit margins, especially with low purchase prices for wheat. Farmers are caught in a dilemma: while desiccation might save the harvest, it could also make wheat production unprofitable due to the increased input costs.
The 2024 wheat harvest in Russia is a stark reminder of the challenges that farmers face when unpredictable weather disrupts agricultural schedules. Despite some regions reporting higher yields, the overall picture is one of concern, with only 25% of the wheat harvest meeting Grade 3 standards. The delayed harvest, ongoing rains, and increased production costs are adding pressure on farmers, who may need to adapt to new strategies to maintain profitability. Moving forward, the agricultural sector in Russia will need to focus on improving harvest efficiency and resilience to weather-related challenges to sustain its wheat production.
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