Russia's main grain harvest in 1996 could recover to 77 million to 80 million tons after drought damage this year, Interfax quoted Agriculture Ministry official Alexander Vasyutin as forecasting Wednesday.


The government has not yet released official figures for this year's drought-hit main harvest, which is expected to total about 65 million tons, the lowest level in 30 years.


Vasyutin, deputy head of the ministry's plant-growing department, reported an increase in the area planned for grains this year but said fertilizer use had dropped sharply and soil depletion was increasing.


Land ploughed in autumn for sowing in spring 1996 totalled 41.1 million hectares, up 1.5 million from a year earlier.


The winter sowing area grew to 15.3 million hectares, up 1.1 million, he said.


Organic fertilizer use last year shrank five-fold from 1986-1990 levels, while use of mineral fertilizers had plunged 10-fold, the agency said. Mineral fertilizers were used on only 2.3 million hectares of winter crops.


On Tuesday, Interfax had said that Russia, nervous about a possible bread shortage but reluctant to admit that it might have to import wheat, might need to buy up to six million tons by summer.