MOSCOW, RUSSIA — Following several record production years, corn (maize) production is Russia is expected to decline 3% in the 2014-15 market year, APK-Inform Agency said on May 12.

According to analysts, the harvest is expected to reach 11.3 million tonnes, a drop of 3% compared to last year. Despite an increase in the planted area to a record level of 2.6 million hectares, grain yield is expected to drop.

APK-Inform said the average yield is forecast at 4.65 tonnes per hectare, which is below the record high of 5.01 tonnes per hectare in 2013. The index will significantly exceed the average result of the last five years, which has been 4.02 tonnes per hectare. 

Analysts of the agency excluded data from Crimea when making the predictions.