Tatarstan Minister of Agriculture reports on preparations to spring field work and situation with pedigree animal breeding

On 3 March, speaking at meeting in the Government House of the republic held by the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov with participation of the regional Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin and all municipalities taking part in it via videoconference, the Regional Minister of Agriculture and Food Marat Zyabbarov reported about progress of preparations to spring field work and situation with pedigree animal breeding.

 He also informed about the completed processing of sugar beet with 275 tonnes of sugar produced, about checks of the quality of cereal seeds and the amount of fertilizers already accumulated in the soil.

Speaking about pedigree animal breeding, Marat Zyabbarov informed that last year the republic produced 2m 378 tonnes of milk and that the republic is home to the largest population of pedigree dairy cows in the country, amounting to 74,560 heads.

As far as dairy herd productivity is concerned, it has reached 29 per cent in the last five years, he said.

The regional Minister also informed that the genetic potential of animals is quite high and further growth of the efficiency of breeding is possible due to modern methods of selection and breeding work, namely genomic selection and told about subsidies from the federal Ministry for breeding farms, which provide for reimbursement of up to 70% of laboratory testing costs and a subsidy for the maintenance of breeding stock.

In conclusion Marat Zyabbarov said that the annual spring agricultural fairs will start their work from 14 March and close on 26 April and will be traditionally held at 14 sites in Kazan, three sites in Nizhnekamsk, two sites in Naberezhnyye Chelny and Zelenodolsk.