Russia: In the Kurgan region, they decided to sow rapeseed and sunflower instead of wheat and oats

The Governor of the Kurgan Region, Vadim Shumkov, is advocating for a change in farming practices, encouraging the cultivation of rapeseed and sunflower over wheat and oats. This recommendation is part of a broader strategy aimed at growing the region's agro-industrial complex, which has seen a 14% increase in 2024 and has been supported by significant infrastructure development and personnel training. However, there are challenges to this approach, including issues of soil fertility with sunflower and the unpredictability of purchase prices for oilseeds, which are set by oil producers. Despite these challenges, there is an expectation that the planting of oil sunflower and rapeseed will increase in the next year, replacing wheat.

Vadim Shumkov, the Governor of the Kurgan Region, suggests sowing rapeseed and sunflower instead of wheat and oats. Over the past five years, several hundred investment projects have been actively implemented in the region, for some of them the administration reports growth of up to 300%, and in 2024, the growth in the region's agro-industrial complex was 14% compared to previous periods. At the same time, Shumkov notes that the state will continue to actively create and restore infrastructure in rural areas and help train the relevant personnel in the required quantity. Independent analyst in the agro-industrial complex Alexander Korbut shared his opinion with Nakanune.RU on how the experience of the Trans-Urals can be advanced for agriculture in Russia. — Before scaling up to other regions, Kurgan needs to see what it can do. There is a certain problem here, especially with sunflower. Sunflower cannot occupy a very significant part of the crop rotation, only about 15-17%, ...