Diversification of lentil production

Abstract

Production and processing of lentil as a valuable leguminous crop with a high content of beneficial nutrients (fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins), a low glycemic index, and a low-calorie content (295 kcal per 100 grams of raw lentils) has great potential for domestic economy. The world market of lentil is analyzed, prospects for increasing the level of its use in domestic markets are identified. An evaluation of the crop processing by an extrusion method is given. The statistical data of the Federal State Statistics Service, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, information materials of Russian and foreign research organizations and companies are studied. The methods of complex structural-dynamic analysis and the expert-analytical method of data processing are used. It is found that lentils contain the largest amount of protein among the rest of the plants, which is a source of essential amino acids (isoleucine and lysine), and that the use of this crop in feed production along with soya bin is promising and appropriate. Based on the analysis of gross yields of lentil in federal districts of Russia in 2010-2019 and export supplies of the crop revealed that the domestic lentil export market expanded 6.1 times, but the country’s lentil consumption decreased 1.18 times. Thus, in the current economic conditions, the issue of finding the use of lentils as a raw export product and expanding the potential for using lentils in the domestic market is relevant. It is proposed to expand the possibilities of using lentils by extruding it, which will allow to have high quality products with good biological value and consumer properties on the domestic market.