Volga Baikal AGRO NEWS Update on the Growth of Acreage in Russia in 2022 !!!

Volga Baikal AGRO NEWS Update on the Growth of Acreage in Russia in 2022 !!!

The crop area can reach 81.3 million hectares.

This year, the sown area in Russia will amount to 81.3 million hectares, which is 0.9 million hectares more than in 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture announced at the All-Russian Agronomic & Agroengineering forum:

1. the area under cereals and legumes will grow to 48 million hectares (VS 47 mln ha in 2021. In 2020 – 47.8 million hectares. Including wheat: 2020 – 29.05 million hectares; 2021 – 28.7 million hectares),
2. forage crops – up to 13.9 million hectares (VS 13.8 mln ha),
3. sugar beet – up to 1.07 million hectares (in 2021 – about 1 million hectares).
4. It is also planned to increase the crops of vegetables and potatoes.

However, to have an incentive to expand the acreage, agri producers need to get state support.

Elena Tyurina, Director of the Analytics Department of the Russian Grain Union:

“Last year, grain and leguminous crops decreased relative to 2020.  Reasons for that: the cost of production is growing due to the increase in prices of energy, fuel, fertilizers. This year, the cost will continue to grow up. It means it will be even more difficult for agricultural producers.”

Alexander Korbut, Vice-President of the Russian Grain Union:

“I believe that now agricultural producers are thinking about changing the structure of crop rotation. They start to show interest to legumes, the export of which is not yet regulated by the state; they are looking at sorghum — it is a good fodder crop, besides it is drought-resistant, which is important for a number of regions of Russia.”

Gleb Tikhomirov, financial director of the Sucden group:

“I believe that theoretically an increase in the acreage by 0.9 million hectares is possible under the condition of high prices remaining. That makes crop production profitable in areas where yields are low. Good prices for products are needed for profitability of the production. Increasing yields in zones of low yields can be achieved through more modern technologies, but they are very costly. In traditional agricultural zones, the potential for introducing new areas into the crop rotation is very limited, since all the land has been cultivated for a long time. As for our company, we have no opportunity to increase the acreage without buying new land.”

PS: Winter crops for the 2022 harvest occupied 19 million hectares, about 97% of the crops are in good and satisfactory condition.

Source: Agroinvestor.ru