Marat Akhmetov: “Family farms and personal subsidiary economies are the basis of rural practice”

Today the ceremony of giving the certificates to grant winners on the program “Development of family live-stock farms on the basis of peasant farm enterprises” in 2015 took place in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan. Deputy Prime-Minister – Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Akhmetov presented the winners with the certificates.

Giving a speech for the winners of the contest Marat Akhmetov noted that there were over 1,100 different family farms in Tatarstan, which had been developing since 2010 when the republic suffered from drought and big farm enterprises got damaged. Now over 100 venues for cattle breeding are being built. “There are not such a big amount of family farms in any Russian region”, noted the minister.

According to his words, currently almost all Russian regions have joined this project. That is why the program has a mixed character: financial support for the owners of peasant farm enterprises is allocated from both federal and regional budgets.

The minister named the regions where agricultural entrepreneurship became strong. For example, in Kukmor municipal district family farms promote the increase in cattle population. In Zelenodolsk municipal district a turkey-hens breeding cluster appeared. It was Ilnur Madjyarov who took the lead in implementation of such a project. Now his followers, working in close cooperation with him, are breeding turkey-hens in many Tatarstan districts. In the farm enterprise of Ilnur Madjyarov there are over 9,000 adult turkey hens. The businessmen himself produces compound animal feedstuff, breeds turkey-hens, then slaughters them, produces semi-products, carries out processing. The same work is done by his business partners.

As the minister assured, participants of such projects would get the support owing to the 70% cut of equipment cost on the program “Leasing grant” by the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan. The decision was made on the republican level.

The minister paid a great attention to the fact that in the republic several programs more on support of private farms were adopted, namely, the programs for mini-farms for 5-7 milk cows. The minister supposes that it is easier for such farms to survive in a harsh economic situation as they are more flexible.

The minister also thinks that the owner of a cattle farm has to be close to it so that to solve all the problems quickly. “If the owner lives 250 km away from his farm, there is a big risk for development of agricultural production”, said Marat Akhmetov. That is why in the future the main attention in Tatarstan will be paid to the development of small family farms in the village.

This year 360 million rubles are planned to be allocated for the development of such farms, where 345 million rubles will be allocated to backyards with cows (3,000 rubles per cow), and 15 million rubles – to backyards with goats (1,000 rubles per goat). Owners of backyards will be able to spend these funds for purchasing of hay and fodder for animals. Beside this, as the minister said, these days the issue concerning further development of personal subsidiary plots has been discussed with interim President of the Republic of Tatarstan. Rustam Minnikhanov signed a resolution, said Marat Akhmetov. About 400 million rubles are planned to be allocated for the development of personal subsidiary plots. It is necessary to pay a great attention to personal subsidiary plots, mini-farms and other forms of economies in the village. “Property is very important. Everyone works for themselves. It is beneficial both for owners of farms and for the state”, emphasized the minister of agriculture and food of the republic of Tatarstan.