Russia may delay a five per cent grain import duty removal by one month, to April, according to comments by an economy ministry official on Monday.

Russia, normally one of the key wheat exporters in the world, was hit by drought last year, which slashed its grain crop and forced it to import more to cover domestic demand.

The duty removal can be discussed in March or April, deputy economy minister Andrei Klepach said.

"We expect that this will happen... I hope in March or April this will be decided," he said Monday in answer to a reporter's question about the duty.

Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich previously expected the tariff to be removed in the first quarter and to last until the start of the new crop year on July 1, when a new harvest will start to cover demand.

Russia's 2013 grain harvest also may lag the official forecast of the agriculture ministry, comments from Klepach also showed.

This year the country may harvest 90-95 million tonnes of grain, he said.

Russia's ag ministry targeted 95 million tonnes previously, up from last year's 71 million tonnes.

-- Reporting for Reuters by Maya Dyakina in Moscow.