Russia’s harvest falls one to two weeks behind schedule due to weather and fuel shortages

Russia’s 2026 harvest is running one to two weeks behind last year’s pace, the Russian business daily Kommersant reported, citing Dmitry Rylko, director general of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies, and the analytical center of Rusagrotrans.

As of July 1, between 1.3 and 1.5 million hectares of grain and legume crops had been threshed across Russia — 3% of the planned area and roughly one-third the figure recorded on the same date last year, when 4.2 to 4.6 million hectares had already been harvested, according to the consulting firm Neo.

Rylko attributed the delayed start to weather: agricultural regions first endured cool temperatures and then heavy rains. The Agriculture Ministry offered the same explanation, saying that in some regions planting had begun later than usual because of weather conditions, which pushed back the harvest campaign.

Neo business development partner Albina Koryagina said the harvest could slip further because of fuel shortages. In some regions, she said, farmers had encountered shortages of fuel volumes at tenders and from resellers, as well as longer delivery times on previously agreed orders. Fuel deliveries that typically take one to three days are now stretching to five to ten days.

Two Kommersant sources in the agricultural market said large companies are not currently facing significant fuel shortages for refueling combines and other specialized equipment, as they have the necessary reserves on hand. Experts said large agricultural producers are covered on diesel fuel through the end of 2026.

Russia’s fuel crisis began after Ukrainian forces struck oil refineries. As a result, nearly all regions of the country introduced various restrictions on fuel sales.