Head of Tatarstan Ministry of Agriculture reports about condition and prospects of development of the reclamation complex of the republic

On 7 February, speaking at a regional meeting held by the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov in the Government House of the republic with participation of the regional Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin and the Chairman of the State Council of the republic Farid Mukhametshin with all municipalities  taking part in it via videoconference, the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the republic Marat Zyabbarov reported about the condition and prospects of development of the reclamation complex of the republic.

In recent years, 37 thousand hectares of irrigated land have been restored in the republic, 487 hydraulic structures have been repaired, more than 280 km of pipelines have been laid, and more than 300 units of irrigation equipment have been purchased. Over the past five years, 13.8bn rubles have been invested in land reclamation, including 5.2bn rubles in 2025.It is planned to allocated 3.8bn rubles on this purpose in 2026 год, the Minister informed.

He also told about the Federal targeted investment programme of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture which fully funds all work done at federal facilities of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Department of Land Reclamation and Agricultural Water Supply in the Republic of Tatarstan”. As many as 10 facilities covering 5,400 hectares have been reconstructed over the past five years and a new facility has been built on 2,900 hectares of irrigated land under this program. It is planned to allocate 955m rubles from the federal budget on work to be done in Arsk and Chistopol irrigation systems in 2026, Marat Zyabbarov said.

He also told about the federal project “ Involvement in circulation and comprehensive reclamation of agricultural lands “ which reimburses 50 per cent of expenses of work in construction and reconstruction of irrigated land plots carried out by farms and funds which come from the regional budget,  with capital overhaul of hydraulic structures being one of the most important work. This program is operating successfully, maintaining annual funding of 150m rubles, which makes it possible to provide water sources to all melioration systems under construction and to restore hydraulic structures in need of repair with additional input of irrigated lands. In 2025, work was carried out at 4 sites to supply water to 1,400 hectares, Marat Zyabbarov said

In addition, 70% of the costs incurred in purchasing irrigation equipment are reimbursed for equipping irrigated lands that have been put into operation and 119 pivot and drum irrigation machines were purchased in total by farms under land reclamation programs in 2025.