INCREASED PRODUCTION IN RUSSIA

Russian potato and vegetable producers increased production 3 percent to 54.1 million tons last year despite a 4 percent reduction in the area planted the Russian Federation's state statistics service reported.

Agricultural Marketing Project Deputy Director Andriy Yarmak said the production increase came because of intensified production and the use of cultivation areas in large specialized potato farms.

Yarmak said that Russian potato acreage had been reduced 10 percent in the last 10 years but production has increased 12 percent during the same period. He said this meant the average potato yield had increased more than 20 percent.