Increasing Rural Business Activity Discussed in Arsky District
Today, a zonal seminar and meeting on increasing rural business activity was held in the Arsky Municipal District of the Republic of Tatarstan. Acting Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Akhmetov, Deputy Minister Gelyus Bayazitov, Chairman of the Council of the Association of Local Governments of the Republic of Tatarstan Ekzam Gubaydullin, and State Council deputies Albert Khabibullin, Azat Khamayev, and Nazip Khazipov attended.
Also attending were the heads of the Arsky, Aznakayevsky, Atninsky, Baltasinsky, Vysokogorsky, Kukmorsky, Laishevsky, Mamadyshsky, Pestrechinsky, Rybno-Slobodsky, Sabinsky, and Tyulyachinsky municipal districts, heads of rural settlements, heads of the Departments of Agriculture and Food, heads of private farms, peasant farms, and cooperatives.
During the working visit, the participants visited the Gabdulla Tukay Pedagogical College.
The Gabdulla Tukay Arsk Pedagogical College was opened in 1930, and 16 years later, it was named after the great Tatar poet. Today, the educational institution meets modern standards for the organization of the educational process in secondary vocational education. In 2013, the building underwent a major renovation. Since then, the Arsk Pedagogical College has continued its work in a new capacity – as a resource center for the training of national personnel, whose tasks, in the current context, are the preservation and development of ethnocultural education in the vocational education system. The college provides training in the following specialties: primary school teaching, preschool and music education, physical education, and computer programming.
The seminar participants then visited residents of the Arsk Industrial Park, including the Povolzhsky Feed Mill and Yakty-Ken cooperatives, TechnoArsk LLC, and the confectionery production facility of the Ikhlas company. A special event was Marat Akhmetov's participation in the grand opening of the Alley of Entrepreneurs, where he planted a pine sapling.
The project's history began in 2014 with site selection and design. Active construction began in 2018, and the first resident began work in 2019. Today, 16 companies operate on the 21-hectare site, with a total investment of 3.5 billion rubles and over 550 jobs created. The management company and residents actively utilize government support, including grants from the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Tatarstan and preferential loans from the Entrepreneurship Support Fund.
The agricultural processing consumer cooperative "Povolzhsky Plant for the Production of Whole Milk Substitutes, Premixes, and Compound Feed" received a grant of 42 million rubles in 2019. The plant's main products include whole milk replacers for calves, premixes for cattle and poultry, as well as compound feed for cattle, pigs, and poultry.
The agricultural consumer supply and marketing cooperative "Yakty-Ken" was also represented at the exhibition. In 2020, the company received a grant of 53 million rubles and produces milk and dairy products.
At the Arsky Industrial Park, Marat Akhmetov and the participants were introduced to the activities of TechnoArsk LLC, which specializes in the production of prefabricated metal structures for dairy farms. The company has undergone significant development: from a small 500 m² workshop with five employees to two modern production sites of 1,300 m² each. The company is currently actively implementing robotic welding and the latest equipment, which optimizes manufacturing processes and improves product quality.
One of the major residents of the industrial park is the Ikhlas company, which produces confectionery. The first production workshops were established in 2023 by individual entrepreneur Ruslan Gainutdinov. Today, they produce 90 types of cakes, with a daily output of approximately 15,000.
During his working visit to the Arsky District, Marat Akhmetov also visited Aizat Salakhov's farm in the village of Siza, which specializes in breeding pedigree horses. Currently, the entrepreneur keeps approximately 300 racehorses. In addition to livestock, the farm produces sausages and kumys.
Opening the plenary session, which was held in the district House of Culture, Marat Akhmetov noted the importance of such meetings. "The republic's agro-industrial complex is the foundation of the village. The future of our villages depends on its development," the Acting Chairman of the State Council emphasized, addressing the meeting participants. – The republic's leadership constantly keeps its finger on the pulse and is very attentive to the issue of rural development.
"The leadership demands a responsible and effective approach from you, too. You work for the people; you know what the republic's residents ask for, what they criticize, and what they thank you for."
Marat Akhmetov highlighted the key indicators of the republic's socioeconomic development. Gross agricultural output in 2025 exceeded 400 billion rubles for the first time. "We are often compared to Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast, but their conditions and climate are completely different. But for our Volga Federal District, these indicators are record-breaking; Tatarstan ranks fourth in the country in this indicator," Marat Akhmetov emphasized.
Almaz Khisamutdinov, head of the Arsk District, presented the key indicators of the Arsk District's socioeconomic development. According to him, 18 large enterprises and 40 peasant farms operate in the district, employing nearly 1,500 people in the agro-industrial complex.
Almaz Khisamutdinov noted with satisfaction the return of young people to the district: "It's encouraging that young people have begun to return to the district in recent years." Currently, 476 students are studying in the agricultural faculties of the republic's universities, 24 of whom are enrolled in targeted programs. Thanks to these efforts, 13 young specialists were employed by district enterprises last year.
According to the 2025 results, the Arsk district ranks third in the republic for grain harvest, with over 204,000 tons. The municipality also ranks second in potato production, with nearly 61,000 tons. The district has over 31,000 head of cattle, more than 10,000 of which are dairy cows. According to Almaz Khisamutdinov, small businesses are being heavily involved in Arsk's economic growth. "Private farms currently have almost 12,500 head of cattle." "In 2025, 11 mini-farms were built in the district. Thanks to the republic's support, nearly 9.5 million rubles in subsidies were received," noted the head of the Arsky District.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan Gelyus Bayazitov delivered the keynote address. He emphasized that the construction of mini-farms is the most effective tool for supporting rural entrepreneurs. While the region as a whole has seen a decline in cow numbers, the mini-farm construction program has seen a 4,214-head increase over the past six years for those participating in the program.
Gelus Bayazitov cited specific figures for the districts: 16 farms were opened in Arsky District over the past two years, 5 in Mamadysh District, and 4 in Baltasinsky District. However, no such facilities were built in Laishevsky, Sabinsky, or Tyulyachinsky Districts. Despite the challenges, all program participants signed commitments to increase and maintain their cow numbers for a five-year period.
Gelyus Bayazitov also cited an example of a successful farmer who benefits from government support measures and complies with veterinary requirements. Khalim Garipov from the Arsky District received a grant of 11.8 million rubles in 2019 to develop his dairy farm. He currently farms 600 hectares of land. His cattle herd is 364 head, including 120 cows. His estimated revenue for 2025 is 45 million rubles, and he has received 2 million rubles in government support. He has employed five people.
Summing up, the Deputy Minister presented a ranking of Tatarstan's districts based on their effectiveness in working with small businesses. The Arsky District took the lead, taking first place.
At the conclusion of the event, Marat Akhmetov and Gelyus Bayazitov awarded the winners of the annual national competition in the following categories: "Best Private Farm," "Best Peasant Farm," "Best Head of a Rural Settlement for the Development of Small-Scale Farms in the Agro-Industrial Complex," and "Best Chairman of an Agricultural Consumer Cooperative."
The next regional seminar-meeting will be held on May 28 in the Buinsky Municipal District of the Republic of Tatarstan.