Russia is experiencing a decline in the production of rye and rye flour, with the harvest expected to be around 1.4 million tons this year, Igor Sviridenko, the President of the Russian Union of Flour and Cereal Enterprises, has reported. This is a significant decrease from over 16 million tons in the early 1990s. The decrease is due to farmers finding wheat more profitable to grow as it has a higher yield and cost. The decline in rye production is not leading to a product shortage, however, Sviridenko fears that rye bread, a national product, may become rare and eventually disappear.