Wheat harvest projected to total 800,000 tonnes

The wheat crop this year is anticipated to come to 800,000 tonnes, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov. In a news conference on Monday, the official said the fields sowed with wheat this year were by 50,000 hectares smaller than last year and totaled 286,000 hectares. With the reaping having started, it can be projected that the average crop per hectare will be three tonnes. In some of the districts, it will be four tonnes per hectare. This will compensate for the smaller areas sowed. The minister said the food wheat with a gluten content of 20 – 24% will represent 60% of the harvested quantity. “The wheat is of a better quality than 2010. Last year, we had a large volume of sprouted wheat. This year, the volume is insignificant,” stated Vasile Bumacov. He voiced hope that the grain prices will be reasonable and not lower than in 2010 so that the producers obtain the expected incomes. “Judging by the prices on the international commodity exchanges, we can anticipate that a tonne of wheat will cost 2,600-3,000 lei,” said the official. Vasile Bumacov urged the companies that borrowed wheat from the state reserves to purchase the necessary volumes from producers as soon as possible and to honor their obligations to the state. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, grains from an area of 450,000 hectares are to be reaped this year. The grains so far have been collected from 150,000 hectares. The harvesting of rape and pea is over. The winter barley will be reaped by the end of this week.