Putin requests government to suggest new subsidies to farmers

KRASNODAR, Mar 12 (PRIME) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to suggest new mechanisms of subsidized credits for small and medium farmers at an agricultural producers’ forum on Monday.

“Small entrepreneurs say they have difficulties in obtaining subsidized credits… I am asking the government to analyze the situation and look for solutions that may be suggested,” he said.

Putin also said that barriers for private farms to enter the market should be eliminated. He added that according to his agreement with Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachyov, a law to provide farmers with land without a tender will be returned to the effective legislation.

The president said that the country’s income from agricultural exports has increased by 16 times from 2000 and is now around 30% higher than income from exports of weapons and defense equipment. He also said that Russia, whose grain harvest amounted to 135.4 million tonnes in 2017, provides itself with staple food.

Tkachyov said in January that agricultural exports rose 15% on the year to U.S. $20 billion in 2017.

Putin said that the Far East, the Azov and Black seas basin and the North West are the major directions to develop export logistics and infrastructure.

The Agriculture Ministry proposes compensations for grain transportation from Siberia and the Urals to the ports to expand the current subsidies to railroad tariffs, Anatoly Kutsenko, director of the ministry’s department for regulation of agricultural markets told PRIME.

Putin said that it is the time that the ministry should acquire new veterinary control responsibilities.

He also said that domestic production of small farm equipment should develop further.

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