Minister: Russia may raise agricultural exports by 27% by 2020

MOSCOW, May 30 (PRIME) -- Russia may increase agricultural exports by 27% to U.S. $21.5 billion by 2020 thanks to state support, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachyov told reporters on Tuesday.

“I am sure that implementation of our priority project will allow us to significantly expand the (state) support and to raise supplies of agricultural products to external markets by 27% to $21.5 billion by 2020,” he said.

The government has approved a project for priority assistance to agricultural exporters, and the companies will receive support through programs for lending, insuring, participation in exhibitions, and compensation for logistics and transportation costs, Tkachyov said.

The ministry offered to compensate agricultural producers for part of costs for long-distance railway transportation of goods, he said. “We offer this support in case export supplies are carried out to Asian countries – China in the first place, or India, Iran, and others,” he said.

The ministry also offered provision of state support aimed at increasing trade turnover of central and southern regions of Russia with regions of Siberia and the Far East, which will allow for export substitution in remoted parts of the country, he said. “We are preparing a corresponding draft government ruling together with the Russian Export Center.”

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