Vladimir Putin held on Thursday a meeting of the State Council on the state agricultural policy. The agenda included effective agricultural production and development of rural areas, presidential web page reports.
As he noted, “The average growth rates in agriculture were recently higher than throughout the Russian economy. Even when the GDP was declining, farmers reported growth. In January to November of this year, agricultural production increased by 4.1%. This year we can report a record harvest of sugar beet, sunflower seeds and soybeans. Preliminary forecasts predict a bumper grain harvest as well, around 121 mio tons. Agricultural exports, including both the export of agricultural raw materials and added-value goods, will have exceeded $24 bln this year, and the goal for 2024 is $45 bln.”
Yet there are plenty of challenges agriculture and rural areas face, especially as far as living standards of the farmers are concerned. “A system-wide problem is the average salary in agriculture. It is only two thirds of the national average,” the President said.