Marat Zyabbarov: Less than two months until spring fieldwork, we need to prepare equipment as much as possible.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Zyabbarov reported on preparations for spring fieldwork today at a meeting in the Government House of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Rustam Minnikhanov held a videoconference meeting with all municipal districts of Tatarstan. Tatarstan Prime Minister Alexey Pesoshin participated in the meeting.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan reported that of the 485,000 hectares of winter crops sown, 480,000 hectares, or 98%, have overwintered in good or satisfactory condition.
The branch of the Russian Agricultural Center continues to inspect the seed material. The republic's spring grain seed supply for the 2026 harvest is 300,000 tons, or 120%, including the insurance fund. 210,000 tons have been tested for seeding quality, representing 85% of the required amount.
The acquisition of imported seeds is also being monitored. To date, farms have contracted 65% of the required corn seed, with 24% of the planned amount received; 46% of the sunflower seed, with 10% delivered; and 70% of the sugar beet seed, with 10% delivered.
Addressing the heads of farms and agricultural holdings, the head of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan reminded them that there is still the opportunity to choose higher-quality seeds with different maturation periods to formulate an optimal harvest plan.
He also emphasized that without the application of mineral fertilizers, it is impossible to achieve a stable harvest. Fertilizer accumulation continues.
To date, including autumn application, 44.3 kg of active ingredient mineral fertilizers have been purchased per hectare of crops. However, there is a lag of 5.3 kg of active ingredient compared to last year.
The main task remains preparing equipment for the upcoming fieldwork. The readiness of agricultural machinery as of February 20 is as follows: 86% of tractors, 92% of seeders, 80% of seeding systems, and 90% of tillage equipment are ready.
Spare parts worth 2.8 billion rubles have been purchased to repair equipment for spring fieldwork, representing 84% of the required volume.
The minister emphasized that purchasing spare parts for harvesting equipment must begin today.
The issue of personnel for fieldwork remains pressing. A number of districts annually address this issue through retraining. Farms in the Arsky District have retrained 15 workers as tractor drivers at the agricultural college.
Aktanyshsky, Kukmorsky, Sabinsky, Cheremshansky, and other districts are also using retraining programs.
It's important to make efforts to attract senior students to seasonal work today, according to Marat Zyabbarov.
At the same time, he said, attracting skilled workers to the industry is impossible without creating favorable working conditions.
"Less than two months remain until spring field work. This time must be used to the fullest extent possible, both to prepare the fleet and, if possible, to modernize it. Efficient production cannot be ensured without the use of modern technologies," the minister said.
He announced that the goal is to complete equipment repairs by March 15. From March 23 to 27, inspections will be held to assess the farms' readiness for spring field work.