Meeting with Penza Region Governor Oleg Melnichenko

Oleg Melnichenko Melnichenko OlegGovernor of the Penza Region began his report on the results of his five years as governor by highlighting steady growth of the gross regional product. While gross regional product (GRP)stood at around 272 billion rubles in 2021, its growth is projected to exceed 1 trillion rubles by 2029 and reach approximately 1 trillion 140 million rubles by 2030.

According to the governor, despite certain economic turbulence, the region has maintained a positive industrial production index. The volume of shipped goods increased from 530 billion rubles in 2024 to 577 billion rubles in 2025. This growth has supported rising wages: the average salary in industry has climbed from 67,292 rubles at the end of 2025 to 76,508 rubles, while unemployment remains low at 1.5 percent as of January 1, 2026.

Addressing the agricultural sector, which is essential for the Penza Region, the governor noted that the region has prioritised bringing unused land back into cultivation. Arable land has now reached 2,198,000 hectares, nearly restoring the levels seen during the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic period. A total of 87,400 hectares has been returned to agricultural use. Remaining lands are largely low-quality or forested, and the governor proposed transferring them to the State Forest Fund rather than attempting to cultivate them, an initiative supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Federal Agency for Forestry.

Oleg Melnichenko also reported expanding the cultivation of winter and spring grains, forage, and industrial crops, with solid yields. The governor added that the Penza Region continues to be a sugar-producing area, with three major sugar factories in operation. Sugar beet yields rose from 44.1 tonnes per hectare in 2022 to 46.5 tonnes in 2025, while average grain yields reached 3.95 tonnes per hectare.

To be continued.