Radiy Khabirov took part in State Council meeting on agriculture development

UFA, 27 December 2019. /Bashinform News Agency/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/.

The Head of Bashkortostan Radiy Khabirov took part in a meeting of the State Council of the Russian Federation on agricultural policy. The agenda included effective agricultural production and rural areas development.

Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the average growth rates in agriculture were recently higher than throughout the Russian economy. Even when the GDP was declining, the farmers reported growth. In January to November of this year, agricultural production increased by another 4.1 percent. Notably, not only large holding companies and firms but also small and family farms were gradually increasing their contribution to the total performance. It has grown from 7.2 percent in 2010 to 12.9 percent this year.

“At the same time, I am certain that the sector cannot develop, reach new levels, and attract young and qualified personnel unless we deal with a pivotal issue. What issue is that? The quality of life in rural areas, ”said Vladimir Putin. “Our rural areas are still lagging behind in terms of social development, everyday comfort, and infrastructure development. I would like to reiterate that this gap is especially obvious against the backdrop of impressive successes of the Russian agro-industrial sector. ”

The meeting participants considered the role of regions in the “Strategy for Sustainable Rural Areas Development” implementation in 2015-2019, as well as the stages of the "Comprehensive Development of Rural Areas" state program.

Members of the State Council paid particular attention to the results of the agricultural sector development and the challenges facing the industry. Participants also discussed support for small businesses, training of skilled workers, and providing rural settlements with social and engineering infrastructure.

According to the results of 2018, Bashkiria ranks seventh in Russia and second in the Volga Federal District in terms of gross agricultural production. The traditional industries for the republic are horse breeding and beekeeping. The region is the leader in the production of marketable honey and koumiss. Bashkortostan also ranks first in beef production, second in milk production, cattle stock, and third in greenhouse vegetable production.

According to preliminary data, in 2019, the republic harvested 3.25 million tons of grain, which is 6% higher than last year's level. Productivity was 19.7 c/ha. Over 11 months, farms of all categories produced 342 thousand tons of cattle and poultry meat, 1.5 million tons of milk.

The volume of investments in fixed assets in the agro-industrial complex of the republic for nine months amounted to 4.6 billion rubles. Forty priority investment projects worth 86.5 billion rubles are in the stage of active implementation. They will create over 6 thousand new jobs.