A GROUP of WA growers is gearing up to fly Russia this weekend, as part of the 2018 CBH Group Study Tour.
The tour group – made up of 37 growers, CBH staff and media – will fly to Moscow this Saturday to begin the 10-day tour of the Black Sea region in Russia’s south.
It’s the first time the co-operative has taken its growers to Russia, with past tour groups travelling to Asia where most WA grain is exported, and where CBH has invested in flour mills and malting facilities.
Russia produced a record 85 million tonne wheat crop last year and has emerged as one of WA’s prime competitors for key international wheat markets in South East Asia.
While favourable seasonal conditions have played a significant role in the region’s boosted production over the past five years, improvements in supply chain logistics have also contributed.
The CBH tour group will be given the opportunity to see these improvements first-hand during the Russian harvest, with planned visits to grain terminals at the port city of Novorossiysk and tours of several farms and storage facilities.
Growers will visit the CLAAS machinery factory in the city of Krasnodar, where they will also participate in a round table discussion with region’s vice governor Andrey Korobko, who will discuss the local agricultural industry.
The CBH tour group will also have to opportunity to discuss issues affecting the sector with a group of Russian growers, who are this year expected to produce a reduced wheat crop from last year’s record harvest, with wet and cold conditions in key grain growing areas impacting yields.
The group will return from Russia on Tuesday, July 24.