Ag Min says Russia may return status of net food exporter by 2020

MOSCOW, Mar 1 (PRIME) -- Russia plans to return its status of a net food exporter lost in 1955, with exports exceeding imports, until 2020, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachyov told reporters on Thursday.

“I think that already in 2020 Russia’s agricultural industry may attain the goal unachievable in recent decades of return its status of a net food exporter which was lost 65 years ago,” he said. “I should remind you that last year we exported U.S. $20 billion of food and imported $28 billion worth of food.”

Tkachyov also said that an ambitious target of $50 billion of food exports is set to 2024.

The minister said earlier that the status will be returned in 2018.

President Vladimir Putin said in his address to the Federal Assembly that all administrative barriers for development of the country’s non-resource exports should be eliminated to double the volume of such exports to $250 billion in the next six years.

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