Mr Zubkov said that "grain growing remains a priority area of agricultural production," and that "grain has been and will always be" an invariably high demand product. Therefore, there is a need to consider increasing the areas sown to grain, and to raise the quality of seed grain.
Moreover, the First Deputy Prime Minister stressed that another priority task in agriculture is to increase the production of meat, milk and eggs. This is very important, he said, because "the prices of imports have grown."
"I would like the regions to remember that reliable fodder provision to the livestock sector is crucial for the supply of Russian-produced meat and milk to the consumer at affordable prices," Mr Zubkov said.
When speaking about the supply of fuels and lubricants to the farms, the First Deputy Prime Minister said that this year the Government would initiate a pilot project of supplying fuels to agriculture through exchange trading. He said that the issue of supplies of fuels and lubricants "to the farms at adequate prices was brought under consideration at a meeting attended by the leading fuel companies and the management of the St Petersburg International Commodities and Raw Materials Exchange."
The key problem on that market was the large number of intermediaries, Mr Zubkov said. "The only solution is to buy fuels at the exchange without intermediaries," he said.
While addressing the issue of loans to agribusinesses, the First Deputy Prime Minister called on bank managers lending funds to the agricultural sector to take emergency measures to provide loans for the spring sowing campaign.
He presented the most substantial requirements to Rosselkhozbank.
"The loan resources provided to Rosselkhozbank must be used more efficiently," he said. "This is state money, mostly budget funds, and we have seen cases when it was not used in a sufficient and satisfactory manner."
When closing the meeting, Mr Zubkov emphasised that the Government would provide assistance to the regions supporting agricultural development.