Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said the country's grain harvest may reach 85 million metric tons this year, according to a Ria Novosti report. Last year's harvest was 108 million metric tons.
Agriculture Minister Elena Skrynnik said Russian grain exports could be 23 million metric tons this year.
This year the drought in the country destroyed 7% of the crop. The worst-hit areas were the Orenburg Region and the Republic of Bashkortostan in the Urals, the Samara and Volgograd regions and the Republic of Tatarstan in the Volga area and south Russia's Saratov Region.
