Rustam Minnikhanov: Agribusiness of the republic is a modern high-tech sphere with good development potential

On 7 July, speaking at a plenary session dedicated to Functioning of domestic crop-growing under sanctions pressure held during the exhibition of the All-Russia Field Day 2023, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said that today agribusiness of the republic is a modern high-tech sphere with good development potential. Russian Minister of agriculture Dmitriy Patrushev, the Tatarstan State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev and representatives of federal departments, state companies, science and business also took part in the session.  

Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized that the republic is one of leaders of the country in agricultural production, the amount of which last year exceeded 224bn rubles. In total, having 2 per cent of farming land of the country, Tatarstan produces nearly 4 per cent of agricultural output of Russia and last year it ranked second in milk production , second – in potatoes growing and was among top ten in production of meat, eggs, grain and sugar beet, he said. 

The Rais of the republic also told the participants of the session about the successfully finished sowing campaign, attracting students to research and increasing the soil fertility. 

“Tatarstan is a risky farming area and to prevent consequences of unfavourable weather conditions we are actively developing melioration, allocating about 500m rubles for this purpose annually. In the last five years we spent more than 6 bn rubles and increased the area of soil wetting up to 34 thousand hectares,” Rustam Minnikhanov said.

Having told about cattle breeding and grain transportation logistics in the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov stated that the systemic work of agribusiness makes it possible to provide the republic with all basic agricultural products and export them into 54 countries. 

In his turn Dmitriy Patrushev informed about priorities in development of agriculture in the country and informed about the state programme “The land” under implementation and the state support given to farmers, telling about 19.7bn rubles of subsidies allocated in 2022 and 24.2bn this year. 

He also said that development of selection, further renovation of agricultural vehicles pool, stabilization of fertilizers market and integration of new regions into agricultural production are strategic tasks for crop growing. 

Suring the discussion Rustam Minnikhanov said that the republic attaches great attention to technical modernization of agribusiness, every year allocating 1.8bn rubles from the budget on this purpose. 

He also informed about agricultural machinery enterprises such as Agromaster, Kazanselmash and the Kazan irrigation engineering plant, working successfully in the republic, and an assembly of MTZ machinery launched together with Belarus partners in the Special Economic Zone of Alabuga.

In his turn the State Counselor of the republic Mintimer Shaimiev, who in 1970-1983 used to be Minister of Melioration and Water Economy of TASSR, emphasized that even with today’s technical development of agribusiness melioration still is of priority importance.