Government meeting

The first item on the agenda is a national report on the progress and outcomes of the 2023 implementation of the State Programme for the Development of Agriculture and the Regulation of Markets for Agricultural Products, Raw Materials, and Food.

Mikhail Mishustin's opening remarks

Oksana Lut's report on the progress and outcomes of the 2023 implementation of the State Programme for the Development of Agriculture and the Regulation of Markets for Agricultural Products, Raw Materials, and Food

Excerpts from the transcript:

Mikhail Mishustin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today on our agenda is the national report on the implementation of the state programme for agricultural development over the past year.

As required by law, the Government will submit this report to the State Duma. Together with the legislators, they will determine the most effective tools for achieving the national goals set by the President.

We discussed this in detail during the recent strategic session. Our priorities include increasing production output in the agro-industrial complex by 25 percent by 2030, boosting exports by 50 percent, and raising investment in fixed assets by 60 percent. Additionally, ensuring the technological independence of the industry remains a key goal. All these targets are achievable.

As the President noted, despite external challenges, the market for products from domestic agricultural enterprises is expanding not only in quantity but also due to the high quality of our food products.

This is evident in the concrete performance results for 2023. The level of food security continues to systematically increase. We have sufficient supplies of grain, meat, sugar, fish, and vegetable oil for both domestic needs and exports to our international partners.

The yields of vegetables, potatoes, and fruits have noticeably increased, with an approximate 11 percent growth. Our logistics capabilities have also expanded, now able to simultaneously store hundreds of thousands of tonnes of these agricultural products.

We have seen positive developments in other areas as well. Over the past year, we have put into operation 49 new or reconstructed cattle breeding facilities and over 170 dairy farms and complexes. Importantly, the processing of raw milk has also increased, a topic frequently discussed with State Duma deputies.

Additionally, we continue to support farmers with agricultural equipment. Nearly 17,000 tractors and combine harvesters have been provided through leasing or preferential lending programmes.

The agricultural insurance system is also developing: in 2023, in extended to 69 regions. It makes possible for farmers to cut their costs, including those due to emergencies.

Human resources are being actively trained for the industry: over 270 educational programmes have been developed as part of vocational training. Of course, we need advanced specialists who are good at modern technologies.

Agricultural tourism projects are becoming increasingly popular. Grants as a support instrument have been in effect for only three years, but over the past two years the facilities created by their receivers have been visited by almost 500,000 people.

Last year, over 440 billion roubles were allocated to implement the state programme.

Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut will explain this in more detail today.

Another important measure.

We continue to help regions to make living conditions there more comfortable, provide more high-quality medical assistance, modern education, a chance to do sports and visit cultural events. This task is among the Government's priorities. The President has highlighted it.

Today we will discuss the allocation of over 3.7 billion roubles to create about 20 infrastructure facilities in several Russian regions. The bulk will be go for the construction of medical organisations, which is highly needed, such as a multidisciplinary medical centre and hospitals, including children's hospitals. Thanks to this financial support, the construction of several of them will be completed this year, for example, an infectious diseases building of the Goryachev Ulyanovsk Regional Children's Clinic which we visited about three years ago. It is a large institution, which is important for all the people living in the region and where specialised assistance is provided even to infants.

I would like to ask the Construction Ministry and the Health Ministry to strictly monitor the expenses, work processes, and deadlines in this area. These are organisations that save lives and health, including those of our children.

Now I will speak briefly about the support for technological sovereignty projects.

We had a detailed discussion of the necessary mechanisms at strategic sessions. We are actively working to develop an entire range of national projects in the fields of healthcare, new materials, and energy, which will give us the opportunity to enhance the country's technological independence for many years to come.

In order to do this, we must first of all increase the volume and expand the list of chemical products manufactured in Russia. The sector is developing actively. Last year, the production of small- and medium-tonnage chemistry exceeded the level of 2020 by more than a quarter, and this year we will maintain this trend.

At the President's instruction, we will allocate over 0.5 billion of roubles to the country's leading scientific organisations that will establish the production of chemical products in small volumes. Funds will be allocated through grants to develop technological regulations and design documentation.

These small-scale production facilities will cover the needs of many Russian enterprises in various sectors, starting from healthcare to automotive industry. As a result, the positive economic effect will be twice the investment.

Overall, almost 10 billion roubles have been allocated for these purposes over the past three years, which will help expand the instrument base of educational and scientific institutes and laboratories, as well as train new generations of engineers and researchers and, of course, ensure reliable supplies of Russian raw materials.

Let us get down to the discussion.

I would like to invite Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut to speak on the first issue. Please, you have the floor.

More to be posted soon…

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