Interfax reports more bad economic news for Russia. Just like in the bad old Soviet days, Russia is having grain problems. Too bad Russians can't drink their oil.

MOSCOW. Sept 5 (Interfax) - Russia had harvested 55.9 million tonnes of grain as of September 4, which is 7.2 million tonnes less than on the same date of 2005, the Agriculture Ministry said.

Grain and grain legumes have been harvested from an area of 25.1 million hectares, which is 57% of the planned area and 3.9 million tonnes less than on the same date of 2005. The yield for grain totals 2.23 tonnes per hectare, up by 0.5 hectares from the yield of the 2005 harvest.

Agricultural enterprises have harvested potatoes from 6.1% of the targeted area, turning over more than 152,000 tonnes of potato tubers with yield of 16.3 tonnes per hectare compared to 15.35 tonnes last year. About 200,000 tonnes of vegetables have been harvested from 22.4% of the targeted area with yield at 10.8 tonnes per hectare, which is 0.5 tonnes per hectare more than last year.

Winter grain crops for next year's harvest have been planted on 2.2 million hectares, which is one million hectares less than on the same date of 2005. Winter tillage has been carried out on 3.3 million hectares, which is 1.8 million hectares less than on the same date of 2005.