Russia May Prepare Test Batches Of Wheat For Export To Saudi Arabia In Late 2018 -Ministry

Russia may form test batches of wheat for exporting to Saudi Arabia in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Russian Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2018) Russia may form test batches of wheat for exporting to Saudi Arabia in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Russian Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.

In April, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance reported that Saudi Arabia had offered Russia to provide it with two test batches of wheat.

"Test batches of wheat have not been delivered from Russia to Saudi Arabia yet. However, there is a provisional arrangement with the Saudi partners concerning these deliveries, and the formation of a test batch is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2018, when the harvesting is completed," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, there is a steady dialogue between the Russian and Saudi agriculture and supervisory bodies.

"We expect that the kingdom will decide to buy Russian wheat after the test batch is received," the ministry added.

Although Russia does not export wheat to Saudi Arabia, the country is one of the major buyers of Russian barley. According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, Saudi Arabia has bought over 1.62 million tonnes of Russian barley in 2017, which is more than any other state has.

In early August, the Saudi Grains Organization announced that it would stop buying Canadian wheat and barley amid the diplomatic row between Riyadh and Ottawa over human rights activists' arrests in Saudi Arabia.