Nikolai Fedorov: Federal support for agro-industrial complex may increase by 20-30 per cent this year

On March 6, answering questions from the press after the session of the Interdepartmental Commission for considering issues related to seasonal field works and rendering prompt assistance to the agribusiness complex governing bodies of the Russian regions, Russian Minister of Agriculture Nikolai Federov said that support for Tatarstan agro-industrial complex might increase by 20-30 per cent this year.

The speaker reminded the journalists that Tatarstan agriculture received the federal support amounting to about ten billion roubles last year. Considering the ambitious plans of the regional leadership and implementation of the greenhouse households programmes, the support may go up by 20-30 per cent.

According to Nikolai Fedorov regions in the Volga Federal District received almost 25 billion roubles to conduct sowing campaign. These funds should be transferred to agricultural companies and farmers as fast as possible to allow them to purchase seeds, fertilizers, fuel and so forth.

“I think that Russian Ministry of Agriculture is the quickest in terms of reacting to the crisis. All the programmes are carried out. We have already received the money and tried to find additional sources,” Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said. He also noted that Tatarstan agricultural complex is aimed both at providing the republic with food and finding new sales markets beyond the region.