(NDAgConnection.com) – Russian farmers could sow less winter grains for the 2023 crop this autumn than a year ago due to heavy rains which replaced dry weather in the central and southern regions, analysts said.

Reuters reports that Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter, supplying the grain mainly to Africa and the Middle East.

Farmers have already sown winter grains on 8.6 million hectares, down 1.5 million hectares from the area at the same point a year ago, Sovecon consultancy said, adding that the gap was 1.1 million hectares a week ago.

“This is the lowest area for this week since 2013. The farmers need to speed up shortly or we are likely to see a substantial decrease in the final area,” Sovecon said in a note.

Farmers in the central region planted only 2.0 million hectares, down 900,000 from a year ago, and 2.0 million hectares in the southern region, down 700,000.

Some farmers are also waiting for a chance to free up fields for winter grain sowing from soybeans and sunflower seeds, he added.

Winter wheat, sown in autumn for harvesting in summer, typically accounts for 70% of Russia’s crop. It brings a higher yield than spring varieties and is less vulnerable to weather.

Most parts of Russia’s southern regions can sow winter grains until mid-November. The deadline for optimal sowing in the central regions is mid-October.