Viktor Zubkov's opening remarks:
The federal government is taking steps to solve agriculture's heat-related problems. The most important issues include harvesting, fodder conservation, autumn planting, and financial assistance.
It is critical to ensure that the financial aid reaches the regions. We are doing everything we can. We are kept abreast of the situation by the Agriculture Ministry as well as other ministries and agencies including law-enforcement.
The government has received requests from the regions to distribute grain using the federal intervention fund. Our position is that we need an accurate accounting of the grain inventory, which the Agriculture Ministry must present to the government. If we see that the volume of grain requires an allocation from the intervention fund to assist the regions, we will not object. Moreover, Mr Putin highlighted the need to help stockbreeders and poultry breeders by using the intervention fund. It can also be used to subsidise fodder purchases.
At the previous meeting with the regions we discussed federal and regional assistance. Let's review the week's results and see what progress has been made.
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The meeting of the working group was a video conference attended by regional heads. The latter declared a state of emergency, caused by the unusual heat. The interdepartmental working group on responding to the consequences of the drought was organised on Vladimir Putin's orders. The working group includes representatives from the Agriculture Ministry, Finance Ministry, Transport Ministry, Economic Development Ministry, Regional Development Ministry, Emergencies Ministry, Energy Ministry, Federal Insurance Supervision Service, Federal Hydrometeorology Service, State Statistics Service, Federal Antimonopoly Service, Russian Railways, banking and other expert fields. The working group meetings are held weekly.