Russia proposes grain export quota in response to coronavirus

Russia's Agriculture Ministry said on Friday it had proposed setting up a quota for Russian grain exports at 7 million tonnes for April-June, in a bid to protect domestic supply as coronavirus spreads.

Russia is the world's largest exporter of wheat, mainly to the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The proposal is yet to be approved by the government, which asked the agriculture ministry earlier this week to prepare proposals on whether exports of any food should be limited due to the spread of the virus.

This measure, if approved by the government, would cover the main grain types - wheat, rye, barley and corn, the ministry said in a statement, adding that it would help ensure stability in the domestic food market. Russia exported 25.2 million tonnes of wheat, rye, barley and corn in the July-December 2019 period. Between Jan 1 and March 26, these exports totaled 7.2 million tonnes, the ministry added.

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