In the Kaliningrad region, the harvesting campaign ends with another record

Natalya Shevtsova, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Kaliningrad Region, Minister of Agriculture, spoke about the preliminary results of the harvest.

She said that the total area of ​​grain and technical wedge for harvesting amounted to 198 thousand hectares, including 146 thousand hectares of grain and leguminous crops and 46 thousand hectares of industrial crops.
The main grain wedge has already been removed. 700,000 tons of grains and leguminous crops were harvested in the originally recorded weight with an average yield of 51.3 centners per hectare. Grain harvest in weight after refinement is projected at 690 thousand tons.

“2021 is a challenging year for growers. Weather "swings" had a negative impact on the level of productivity of a number of crops, as well as on the course of the harvesting campaign, - said Natalia Shevtsova. “A special stress factor this year was the abnormally hot weather that set in June-July during the grain loading period, which affected the performance and weight.”

At the same time, as the deputy chairman said, the received volume of grain will completely cover the needs of the region (513 thousand tons) and sell the surplus balance outside the region (about 180 thousand tons).

Industrial crops harvested by 97%. The main industrial crop in the region is rapeseed. Its gross harvest in the initially credited weight amounted to 157 thousand tons with an average yield of 35.2 centners per hectare. Taking into account refraction (the percentage of reduction in moisture and weediness), 150 thousand tons of rapeseed in weight after completion are expected. Natalya Shevtsova clarified that "this is another step forward for the region." Last year, the gross harvest of rapeseed amounted to 146.6 thousand tons.”

“Among other constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the Kaliningrad region ranks second in terms of corn and wheat yields, first in rapeseed and soybean yields, and fourth in grain and legume yields in general,” said Natalya Shevtsova. – Among the subjects of the Northwestern Federal District, our region continues to be the undisputed leader in the gross production of grain, rapeseed, soybeans, corn for grain, and buckwheat. Thus, the region produces more than 70 percent of the total gross harvest of wheat in the northwest and more than 80 percent of rapeseed. Also, the Kaliningrad region is the only region in the northwest that grows corn for grain, buckwheat, and soybeans.”

it should be noted that soybean is a strategically important crop for crop rotations and for increasing the EXPORT potential of the region. Kaliningrad farmers are successfully mastering the technology of its cultivation. In 2021, the area of ​​this crop more than doubled compared to 2020 (3.4 thousand hectares), the gross harvest amounted to 11 thousand tons with an average yield of 32.4 centners per hectare (2 centners per hectare more than in the past of the year).

Harvesting of potatoes and a late group of vegetables continues in the region. According to the forecast, 123 thousand tons of potatoes are expected in all categories of farms (this will fully meet the intra-regional demand), 67 thousand tons of vegetables (900 tons more than last year). The planned gross harvest will cover the regional demand for vegetable products by 68%, while the need for vegetables of the “borscht” set will be covered by more than 80%.

Natalya Shevtsova also informed about the winter sowing for the 2022 harvest. 44.1 thousand hectares of rapeseed were sown (1 thousand hectares more than last year) and 85.9 thousand hectares of winter crops (200 hectares more than last year).

“The farms of the region have made a good start to the harvest of 2022. Seeds, mineral fertilizers, and plant protection products have already been purchased, which will ensure a positive trend in agricultural production,” concluded Natalya Shevtsova.

During the meeting, the situation with customs duties on grain exports, provision of the livestock industry with fodder produced in the region, and development of grain processing were discussed.
“I am glad that our processing volume is growing, we are exporting less grain in its pure form, we have more and more FLOUR millers, other processors are interested in it, we should also keep this in mind and focus on it. So that farmers are not faced with a choice to continue the business or not. There should always be an alternative,” Governor Anton Alikhanov said.