Lipetsk farmers increase oilseed crops

High-margin, export-oriented. Both in the Lipetsk region and throughout the country, there has been a sharp increase in the production of oilseeds in recent years.
And if in 2000 in our region the area under oilseeds was only 48.3 thousand hectares, then in 2021 they occupied 375.8 thousand hectares. The yield increased from 8.7 c/ha in 2000 to 23 c/ha in 2020. In 2021, due to difficult weather conditions, it slightly decreased (to 19.5 c/ha), but was still in the average five year values. If we talk about production, since 2014 there has been an increased demand for oilseed processing products, therefore, an increase in the production of these crops has begun. In 2014, we harvested 406 thousand tons of oilseeds, in 2020 - 783 thousand tons. And, despite the fact that in 2021 there was a slight decline (731 thousand tons), in the current 2022, Lipetsk farmers plan to receive about 800 thousand tons.
This week, specialists from agricultural enterprises, representatives of processing companies discussed the prospects for increasing the production of two oilseeds: soybean and flax. We talked about the technological aspects of their cultivation, about the conditions for processing soybeans and flax. They touched upon the topics of combating diseases and pests in these crops, and also got acquainted with the latest agricultural equipment.
“Soya is a crop that is very demanding in terms of growing conditions and agricultural technology, but at the same time it is high-margin and extremely in demand lately,” said Oleg Dolgikh, HEAD of the Lipetsk Region Agriculture Department. “Demand for it is stable and growing from year to year.” According to Oleg Dolgikh, 3 new plants for processing oilseeds, including soybeans, will be commissioned in the Lipetsk Region alone in the near future. Also, new capacities will appear in the Kursk and Oryol regions. The total volume of processing of these plants will reach more than 13 thousand tons of oilseeds per day. In our region, the area under soybeans increased from 1.6 thousand hectares in 2006 to 89.4 thousand in 2021. In 2019, a record harvest was obtained - 140 thousand tons. In the past - close to the best (138.6 thousand), and this despite the fact that that 2021 was generally a very unfavorable year for most crops. This year the region is making ambitious plans: to allocate 115 thousand hectares for soybeans and get about 220 thousand tons.
As for oil flax, this is a new crop for the region. It is unpretentious and promising, because even with a small yield, its profitability is very high. Demand and price for oilseed flax in the world are high. CHINA and Norway are showing increased interest in it . And if China buys flax for processing into oil, then the Norwegians feed it wild fish.
Until quite recently, there was almost no interest in oilseed flax in RUSSIA; in 2010, the area under it was 30,000 hectares. Now there is a rapid growth. In 2022, the area allocated for flax in Russia should amount to 1 million hectares. In the Lipetsk region, this crop will occupy 5.5 thousand hectares. In 2014, 1.2 thousand tons of oil flax were harvested in the region. Starting from 2019, the harvest amounted to 6.4 thousand, 7.3 thousand and 5.7 thousand tons, respectively. In 2022, under favorable weather conditions, Lipetsk farmers plan to receive 10 thousand tons.