Penza, 20 June 2017. PenzaNews. Agricultural producers of the Penza region increased sown areas under such crops as maize, wheat, sunflower, buckwheat, soya, chickpea, and lentil. This was reported by the minister of agriculture Andrei Burlakov.

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"Taking into account the situation – domestic and external demand for the products, development of livestock sector – this year we significantly increased sown areas under maize and wheat, and now they equal to 50,000 ha, which is 12,000 ha more than last year," he said at the press conference that was held on Tuesday, June 20.

The minister added that with the increasing demand for soya on the part of poultry farmers and pig breeders, sown areas under this crop were increased as well.

"Thus, we reduce dependence on delivery of the product from foreign countries," Andrei Burlakov noted.

According to him, for a long time it was thought that it was impossible to cultivate soya in the Penza region, however, thanks to emergence of its new varieties and technologies as well as to a climate change, nowadays we can observe first success.

"We became leaders in gross soya harvest in the Volga Federal District last year, and this year we will get a good indicator as well, I think," the minister said.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Penza region, sown areas under buckwheat equalled to 31,500 ha, an increase to the level of previous year – 6,200 ha; soya was sown at 31,100 ha, which is 15,200 ha more than a year ago; chickpea – at 4,900 ha, which is 2,200 ha more; lentils – 8,900 ha, which is 5,800 ha more than last year.