“Everything is just beginning” – Russian agricultural exports exceeded imports for the first time
The domestic agro-industrial complex, despite last year’s pandemic, has reached a qualitatively new level, positive indicators have been achieved for the main types of products, and agricultural exports have also increased and expanded.
The Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Patrushev, stated this during a meeting of the Federation Council, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“Food sufficiency in the domestic market is our absolute priority. Some of the indicators of the food safety doctrine of the agro-industrial complex have already been achieved, including for grain, meat products, sugar and vegetable oil, fish and fish products. However, there is a lot of work ahead on those positions where the doctrine’s indicators have not been met, including new indicators that have been included in the food security doctrine since 2020,” Patrushev said.
He assured that all indicators will be gradually brought to the required values, in accordance with the food security doctrine, for which unused land will be put into circulation.
“I would like to move away from the state program of the agro-industrial complex and, in continuation of the topic, say a few words about strategic plans for increasing the marketable mass of agricultural products. This requires strengthening our basic production resource, namely agricultural land. One of the most important tools is the introduction of unused agricultural land into circulation. This work is still being carried out... It is planned that over 10 years of work we will introduce 13 million hectares of agricultural land,” Patrushev emphasized.
The minister also spoke about the positive trends occurring in the Russian agro-industrial complex.
“The current stage of development of the agro-industrial complex allows Russia to strengthen its position in international markets. It is important for us not to lose the strong position we have gained. At the end of last year, Russian agricultural exports exceeded imports for the first time. In 2020, products worth $30,7 billion were supplied to foreign markets.
The growth was ensured by an increase in the export of grains, oil and fat products and fish, and the export of livestock products was actively developing. A significant increase was also achieved in the export of products with high added value.
At the same time, during the pandemic, work to expand access of Russian products abroad does not stop. Last year, we received the right to supply another 24 countries for 38 types of products,” added Dmitry Patrushev.
English version :: Read in English "It's just the beginning" – Russian agricultural exports exceed imports for the first time