April 26, 2012

Russia's three million tonnes vegetable oil production secures fat, oil industry

Russia's 2012 fat-and-oil industry will be completely secured with vegetable raw materials for oilseed processing forecasted at over three million tonnes with domestic demand of 1.7 million tonnes, reported Elena Skrynnik, Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.

It is expected that in 2012 the general production of oilseeds will total 11 million tonnes, including sunflower seed - 7.5 million tonnes, rapeseed - 1.1 million tonnes, soy - 1.5 million tonnes, flaxseed - 631,000 tonnes.

The production volumes of oilseed meals and cakes for livestock will total at least four million tonnes, which corresponds to data of the recent three years.

Due to realisation of the sectoral programmes in support of rapeseed and soy production last year, the country received the record harvest of these crops - over one million tonnes and 1.7 million tonnes, respectively. Sunflower seed production volumes also reached the record volume - 9.6 million tonnes.

Taking into account the positive dynamics of the industry, the high demand for oilseeds on the Russian and world markets, the Ministry of Agriculture prepared the draft decree of the Government providing cultivation of poppy seed with low content of morphine in the Russian Federation. To date, due to the current ban on the production of the oilseed, Russia annually imports nearly 12,000-15,000 tonnes of the oilseed.