Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Akhmetov: financial records of Tatarstan agriculture are positive

Overall, financial records of Tatarstan agriculture are positive this year. It was stated by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan – Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Akhmetov at a session in the House of Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, today.

The videoconferencing session with all municipal districts was held by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexey Pesoshin also took part in the session.

Marat Akhmetov reported on the gross agricultural product (all categories of farm households) and the yield of agricultural enterprises and peasant farm enterprise within 2015-2017.

Thus, the expected gross agricultural product in 2017 is 260.4 billion rubles (the production index is 105.1%), the yield is 103.9 billion rubles (in 2016 the gross agricultural product was 233.7 billion rubles with the growth of 4.3%, the yield was 98.6 billion rubles, in 2015 the gross agricultural product was 217.1 billion rubles with the growth of 4.9%, the yield was 89 billion rubles).

The economic performance in agriculture would be much better at the current output, even if we kept the prices on the previous year level, - noted Marat Akhmetov. – However, there was a considerable reduction of prices – half as much in crop husbandry and by 10-15% in cattle breeding production”.

According to Minister’s of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan words, the essential factor influencing financial performance is the investment prospects of agriculture. Within the latest 5 years, over 173 billion rubles have been invested into agriculture and foodstuff industry of the republic. In 2016 each invested ruble made 5.5 rubles of the added value.

Quite a good investment rate in the region was made within the previous years owing to the following companies: “Nefis” – 12.8 billion rubles, “Ak Bars” holding company – 6.7 billion rubles, “Chelny-Broiler” – 5.5 billion rubles, “Kamskiy Bacon” – 4.1 billion rubles, “Maiskiy” greenhouse complex – 2 billion rubles.

These investments enabled to make a profound added value and to preserve stable rates of growth in the republic.

“In recent years investments have been reducing, - claimed Marat Akhmetov. – Unfortunately, there are no ambitious projects for the following year”. Nevertheless, the republic is traditionally among the leading constituent entities of the country concerning the agricultural output. At the same time, there are some regions with a very high investment activity. Thus, within recnt 5 years Belgorod region has invested twice as much per each 1 thousand ha than Tatarstan has (82 million rubles), Leningrad region – 4 times as much than Tatarstan (165 million rubles), Lipetsk region has also attracted more investments than Tatarstan (34 million rubles).

The republic supports the municipal districts interested in development of agriculture. Within the latest 6 years, the budget investments have made up almost 20 billion rubles, which enabled to attract twice as much additional extra-budgetary funds.

The largest programs are the program of technical modernization (23 billion rubles), construction of dairy complexes and development of amelioration (8 billion rubles each), the republican program on overhaul of cow houses (6 billion rubles).

Beside republican programs agricultural producers receive sufficient support from the leading operators, noted Marat Akhmetov. Thus, “Tatagroleasing” has distributed over 3,000 units of machinery and equipment to agricultural enterprises within the latest 5 years.

The minister reminded that a favourable credit facility was available for rural people in 2017. The interest rates were from 2% to 5%. 52 applications on easy-term loans amounted to 7.4 billion rubles were accepted from large and medium size businesses.

A model of project management is developed with the aim to increase the investment attractiveness of agriculture, to reach the target indicators outlined in “The strategy of the Republic of Tatarstan – 2030”, and exposure drafts for the further project introduction are prepared, reported Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Press Service of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan