Need more soy: Secrets of the popularity of legumes in Russia

Soybean came to us from China and in recent years has occupied a confident position in the ranking of the most marginal crops. Prices for soybeans are not subject to such sharp jumps as for wheat, and high demand from processors has led to an increase in the area under it even in those regions where they previously did not want to hear about soybeans. The magazine field.rf asked experts what is the secret of the popularity of this “new folk” crop, and found out how advanced cultivation technologies have become. Over the past 6 years, the area under soybeans has expanded almost every year, except for a slight decline in 2020. By 2023, they reached a maximum of 3.6 million hectares (according to Rosstat’s spring records). Today, soybeans are grown throughout the country - from its westernmost point, the Kaliningrad region, to the Far East. Half of the area is in the “historical homeland” - Primorsky Territory, Amur Region and other regions of the Far Eastern Federal District. About ...