Farmers in Siberia started harvesting; one farmer said the weather is favorable for growing crops, there are no losses due to drought, and the yield forecasts are good.

Buckwheat harvest in Novosibirsk expected to be higher than last year after an increase in hectares and favourable weather conditions.

The Russian grain harvest has passed halfway; 78 million tons have been collected, including almost 63 million tons of wheat. The ministry grain harvest forecast for this year remains at 132 million tons.

From the Economist today. In 1959, scientist and writer C.P. Snow warned that society was “being split into two polar groups”: those who understood science and those who did not. I would add that those who don’t understand science don’t know they don’t understand science.

That loud bang was close.

Leaving Kursk and heading back to our UK base where we will write up our crop tour observations for our subscribers.

I’d always imagined a bit more of an entrance.

Tractor glitch.

Travel north and west from central Russia’s fertile grain belt, and the agricultural quality of land quickly drops off; we passed a village called Cow Swamp which gives you the general idea. Russia doesn’t have endless hectares of farmland to expand into, at least not its own.

Interfax report that following a decision made by the government, Russia's Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) has stopped publishing data on production of oil products in the country. Will grain be next?

Currently between a rock and a hard place.

Tonight’s accommodation came with a feature.

Always fun to arrive at a new place the night before in the dark to then discover where you are the following morning.

Approaching the Russian EU border.

Traffic backed up in Latvia waiting to cross into Russia.

Out of the war zone and the relief is palpable; you don’t appreciate the pressure until it’s gone.

One thing I will take away from our latest tour is watching a drone get shot out of the sky really grabs your attention; watching six in quick succession brings it home that this is for real.

Some of our recent Black Sea tour.

Schiphol airport has a museum.

Ukraine farmers have started sowing next year’s winter cereals and oilseed rape crops.