The project for building a plant for the production of vegetable oil is boosting the processing industry in the Southern Urals.

Projects in the processing industry have a positive impact on the development of crop production in three regions of the Ural Federal District.

The management of an agricultural enterprise has announced a decision to build the first large vegetable oil plant in the Southern Urals. This is a significant event for the Ural processing industry.

– We plan to establish a large enterprise in Troitsk, where animal husbandry is developing, so the production waste, meal, will also be used as fodder for livestock, – shares his plans the director of the elevator, Valter Magakyan.

Previously, the company cultivated grains, but then decided to diversify its business, increasing the areas under flax and sunflower: the price of flax last year ranged from 17 to 25 rubles per ton, and now has already reached 40 rubles.

Farmer Alexander Muromtsev from the Kurgan region has no doubts about the long-term profitability of oilseed production. He believes that this is a very promising direction for the local climate.

– There was a time when farmers earned on flax, selling it for 65 rubles per ton. Then, when the market situation changed, many started complaining that it became less profitable. But even at a price of flax at 15 rubles, it remains profitable, – reasons the farmer.

The wave of development of oilseed crops in the Urals started recently. For example, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Chelyabinsk region, in 2011, only 35.6 thousand tons of oilseeds were produced, and in 2022 the crop increased almost 7 times to 252.5 thousand tons. This trend is typical for other regions of the district. Oilseed crops have become the main driver of crop production development in the Urals: the sown areas are increasing only due to these crops, noted Dmitry Zhilyakov, head of the expertise department in agriculture of Rosselkhozbank, at a conference in Chelyabinsk.

Analysing clients' financial statements, experts have determined the economic attractiveness of oilseed cultivation in Russian regions. It turned out that in the central and southern parts of the country, the profitability of these crops matches or is lower than that of grains. And although in some territories the profitability is higher, it is physically impossible to increase plantings there. But in the Urals, the profitability of oilseed crops significantly exceeds wheat indicators. Moreover, in the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan regions, there is the possibility of increasing plantings by attracting new lands into agriculture.

However, analysts note that due to export restrictions, today only 3% of rapeseed, 50% of flax, and 19% of soybeans are exported. As for sunflower, it is almost not exported, as the main export product is vegetable oil, and Russia holds a 16% share of the market, which continues to grow. Therefore, the development of oilseed processing can uplift the entire oil production industry, including the first stage - crop production, to a new level.

According to experts' forecasts, in the next five years, the raw material reserves for processing in the central part of the country, taking into account already under construction plants, will decrease to 52%, in the Southern Federal District - to 68%. The Volga-Vyatka region may become a producer of excess production, but the surplus of oilseeds in the Urals will be significant, at least until 2028, as there are no plans to build new oil extraction plants here. The cost of such a plant with a capacity of 1000 to 2000 tons of raw materials per day is about 10 billion rubles. This enterprise is beyond the reach of small and medium-sized businesses, but for large investors, it is a promising niche. Moreover, this can unite the efforts of several Ural regions.

– We believe that in the Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, and Tyumen regions, there are all conditions for the creation of new enterprises. Businesses should pay attention to the economic aspects. This stimulates the development of crop production over a large territory, – draws conclusions Dmitry Zhilyakov.

Aleksey Kobyl in, Minister of Agriculture of the Chelyabinsk region:

– We believe that increasing oilseed production has prospects. Despite periodic restrictions on the export of oilseed crops, overall their production is more profitable. Therefore, for several years now we have been developing experimental sites to test domestic and imported seeds, selecting the best varieties, and then multiplying them. In the future, development is planned in three directions: export, the development of their own oilseed processing, and the use of by-products of processing in animal husbandry.