Latest news with #GlebBryanski
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian farmers appeal to Putin for help against antelope invasion
By Olga Popova and Gleb Bryanski MOSCOW (Reuters) -Farmers in Russia's Saratov region have appealed to President Vladimir Putin for help in dealing with an invasion of saiga antelopes that have migrated from Kazakhstan and devastated their fields. The appeal, posted on several popular farmers' channels on Telegram, said that the saiga population has grown uncontrollably in recent years, reaching up to one million in Russia alone. Saratov, located along the Volga River, is the country's sixth-largest grain-producing region, with an annual harvest of about 4 million metric tons, accounting for 3.5% of Russia's total grain harvest. Farmers reported that about 500,000 saigas crossed into Russia from Kazakhstan at the end of May. They said that thousands had drowned in local rivers, contaminating the water supply. "We hope for your understanding and assistance in resolving this situation, which threatens the very existence of agriculture in our region," the farmers said in their appeal. Culling or hunting saigas, which were nearly extinct in the 1990s, is prohibited in Russia. A separate letter to Putin, signed by heads of the region's leading farms and obtained by Reuters, said that crop losses from saigas are not covered by insurance because the animal is not yet listed as an agricultural pest. The Saratov regional Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday that it has set up damage assessment commissions and is developing a mechanism to support farmers. The surge in the population of saigas, easily recognised by their trunk-like nose that filters sand particles from the desert air, is considered a global conservation success story. Evgeny Karabanov from Kazakhstan's Grain Union lobby group told Reuters that an estimated 4.0-4.5 million antelopes are currently roaming in the Central Asian country, compared to only 25,000 in the 1990s. "Their migration area has significantly expanded... No one is asking them for passports," Karabanov said. (Writing by Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Weather set to hit harvest in Russia's largest grain region
By Olga Popova and Gleb Bryanski MOSCOW (Reuters) -High temperatures and a lack of rain over the coming months are expected to deplete the harvest in Russia's largest grain region Rostov, the head of the local grain lobby group said after a farming emergency was declared. Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar issued a decree on May 19 introducing the state of emergency for farming after spring frosts and ordered local authorities to evaluate the damage. The declaration allows farmers to seek compensation. Insurance payments to farmers linked to bad weather grew by 76% in 2024. Apart from the frosts, a lack of rain is expected to deplete the harvest further, Anatoly Kolchik, head of the local branch of the Russian Grain Union lobby group, told a local edition of the Vedomosti daily on Tuesday. "The problems affected not only winter crops but also spring crops. They simply won't have enough time to gain the necessary strength," Kolchik was quoted as saying, adding that only the upper layers of soil had sufficient moisture. Andrei Sizov from Sovecon consultancy also cited the lack of rain as the biggest threat to crops in Rostov and that yields were set to decline. "Overall, the situation has improved with the recent rainfall, but it's far from sufficient. The potential yield is below average," Sizov said. Rostov became the third Russian grain-producing region to declare a farming emergency after frosts in late April and May. The others were Voronezh and Belgorod. The region's grain harvest fell by 22% last year after Rostov was hit by spring frosts and then by drought, with the wheat harvest declining by 38%. The grain harvest for the whole of Russia, the world's biggest wheat exporter, declined by almost 14% in 2024. In February local authorities forecast this year's harvest in Rostov would be 13.7 million metric tons, 20% more than in 2024. "The situation this year remains tense, both in terms of weather and economic parameters," Rostov's First Deputy Agriculture Minister Olga Gorbaneva said during the public hearing of the region's budget. Gorbaneva said the region's agricultural sector profit margin fell to 8% in 2024 from 16% the previous year. She also said that grain farming costs rose by 35% last year while revenue rose by 13%. Russia's Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut said last week that crop damage from May frosts is not significant this year and is estimated at only about 10% of last year's damage. She also said that a lack of moisture in the soil was the next big risk. ($1 = 80.8500 roubles)
Zawya
16-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Russian rouble weakens vs US dollar on Ukraine talks uncertainty
The Russian rouble weakened against the U.S. dollar on Friday with one factor being uncertainty over the outcome as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were in Istanbul for what was billed as their first direct peace talks in more than three years. By 1005 GMT, the rouble was down 0.8% at 80.65 to the U.S. dollar, LSEG data based on over-the-counter quotes showed. The Russian currency has risen by more than 40% against the dollar this year. "The slowing down of the rouble's rise is caused by increased volatility in the commodity market and the intensification of geopolitical issues amid uncertainty over the outcome of the Istanbul negotiations," BCS brokerage analysts said. Against the Chinese yuan, which is used by Russia's central bank for its foreign exchange interventions and is the most-traded foreign currency in Russia, the rouble was down 0.5% at 11.16 to the yuan on the Moscow Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Gleb Bryanski Editing by Frances Kerry)
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Russian rouble weakens amid Ukraine peace talks uncertainty
The Russian rouble weakened against the U.S. dollar and China's yuan on Wednesday amid uncertainty over talks for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. At 1120 GMT, the rouble was down 1.5% at 82.70 against the U.S. dollar, according to LSEG data based on over-the-counter exchange rate quotes. Despite Wednesday's weakness, the rouble has risen by about 38% against the dollar so far this year. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that countries involved in peace talks around Ukraine still needed to narrow their differences and that there were "a lot of nuances" that needed to be worked out before any deal could be reached. Against the Chinese yuan, which is used by Russia's central bank for its foreign exchange interventions and is currently the most-traded foreign currency in Russia, the rouble fell 1.7% to 11.32 on the Moscow Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Gleb Bryanski Editing by Gareth Jones)
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-US investor Cameron offers $5 billion for Kazakh mining giant ERG, letter shows
By Gleb Bryanski MOSCOW (Reuters) -U.S. businessman James Cameron has offered to buy mining giant Eurasian Resources Group for $5 billion, a letter he sent to its board showed, as the company prepares to participate in a major expansion of Kazakhstan's rare earths output. ERG, a Luxembourg-based producer of copper, cobalt, aluminium, and iron ore that is 40%-owned by the Kazakh government, said last year it had formed a task force to explore deposits of rare earth and rare metals in Kazakhstan. Those minerals have gained particular attention in recent months as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration seeks alternatives to China to supply its domestic industry as a trade war between the countries escalates. According to a source close to the company, talks between ERG and Cameron have been going on since the end of last year. ERG, the Kazakh government, and Cameron, once a board chairman of former FTSE 250 mining firm Petropavlovsk, did not comment. According to Cameron's letter to the ERG board, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, Goldman Sachs is in preliminary talks to advise on the deal. "The financing will come from a combination of my own funds, as well as equity contributions from other investors in the United States, and possibly Australia and the Middle East," the letter said. Another source close to the transaction told Reuters the investor's interest in ERG is partly linked to Kazakhstan's potential in critical minerals exploration and mining. Kazakhstan aims to lift rare and rare earth metals output by 40% by 2028, with ERG seen taking a major role in the initiative. This month, Kazakhstan's government announced that its geologists had discovered a large rare earth deposit with estimated resources exceeding 20 million metric tons. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said last year that data concerning the country's deposits of rare and rare earth metals, a state secret since Soviet times, is being gradually declassified. If confirmed, this discovery could position Kazakhstan among the top three holders of rare earth reserves globally, following China and Brazil. ERG once produced one-fifth of the world's gallium, a rare metal used in microchips and included on the U.S. list of critical materials. However, it ceased production after China increased its output of the metal in 2012. Beijing in December banned gallium exports to the U.S. after a crackdown by Washington on China's chip sector. In 2013, ERG was taken private in a $4.5 billion buyout by its three founders, who each owned approximately 20% of the company, along with the government. Last month, one of ERG's founders and its board chairman, Kazakh-Israeli businessman Alexander Mashkevich, passed away, leaving only one of the original founders, Patokh Chodiev, among the current shareholders. (Additional reporting by Mariya Gordeyeva in Kazakhstan; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Jan Harvey) Sign in to access your portfolio
