Russia this year due to the accident at the Fedorovsky hydroelectric complex in the Krasnodar region (the main producer of rice in the Russian Federation) may reduce the harvest of this cereal crop to 700 thousand tons, predicts the president of the Russian Grain Union Arkady Zlochevsky.

“Kuban produces 80% of rice. Usually we harvest somewhere around 1 million 100 thousand tons on average, according to the last years. This year it will be 700 thousand tons,” he told reporters.

According to him, rice consumption is about 1 million tons a year, 200 thousand tons of which is long-grain imported rice. “The surplus was sent for export. There will be no exports this season. And, perhaps, a little more imported long-grain rice will be imported – not 200 thousand, but 300 thousand tons. We will get through the season without problems, but prices will be high,” he believes.

According to Zlochevsky, producers will have lost income due to the reduction of sown areas. But the rise in prices will compensate for these losses.

Russia plans to ban rice exports from July 1 to December 31 this year in order to prevent rice prices from rising.

The accident at the Fedorovsky hydroelectric complex in Kuban occurred in April and may seriously affect the future rice harvest.