Viktor Zubkov's opening remarks:

"Many agro-industrial statistics were quite good in 2011. This is due not only to favourable weather conditions but also to significant state support, as well as to the hard work of the governors and the agri-businesses themselves.

It is very important to continue this success in 2012. To do so, the government intends to hold a number of events during the first quarter of 2012. In late January, we will hold a meeting on animal breeding development in one of the country's regions. In February, we will also review the preparations for spring field work at a government meeting. Also in February we will hold an agrarian forum where we will sum up the results of 2011 and discuss the basic approaches to deliver this performance of 2012.

Today there is an extremely important issue on our agenda. It is the situation with African swine fever, a disease that has turned into an economic threat.

In December 2010, the government pushed through legislation to combat African swine fever. Amendments to the law "On Veterinary Medicine" were adopted. The Ministry of Agriculture was given the authority to initiate quarantines, appoint and release regional veterinary officers and take whatever action is necessary to localise African swine fever. On government instruction, the Ministry of Agriculture has established an interdepartmental staff.

Unfortunately, the situation hasn't changed much. Swine fever cases have been registered in the south of Russia as well as in many other regions. This disease has mainly affected small farms and gardens.

Of particular concern are the instances of disease spreading to large farms. Almost all of these enterprises are located in the Krasnodar Territory.

On January 12 this issue was reviewed at a meeting of the Government Commission on Agro-Industrial Development. Some participants at today's meeting also took part in it.

The commission noted that the measures taken have not been effective. As a rule, the staff's decisions are of an advisory nature and are often neglected. This conclusion was based on materials submitted to the government by the Audit Chamber. At the commission meeting we discussed measures that must be taken by the staff immediately.

The legislative basis for action needs further adjustment. In particular, a new law on veterinary medicine must be adopted. The law I'm referring to has been under developed by the Ministry of Agriculture for three years now, and it still hasn't been coordinated with the other concerned agencies.

At the same time, there are numerous violations in the regions themselves. They include delays in initiating quarantines, issuing veterinary documents that violate established procedures, and using food waste for feed without treating it with heat. Veterinary requirements have been further violated when information on animal diseases has not been distributed. All of this is unacceptable.

By law, the regional heads and chief veterinary officers bear direct responsibility for the organisation, quality and efficiency of measures taken for the elimination and prevention of animal disease.

So today we are holding this conference in an expanded format that includes federal agencies, law enforcement bodies and the regions.

The regions must also review their approach to this threat. The region's controlling agencies have committed numerous violations. The General Prosecutor's Office has evidence of these violations after its latest inspections.

Here are just a few figures. The number of violations identified by the General Prosecutor's Office only last November amounted to 550 in the Krasnodar Territory, 320 in the Rostov Region, and 250 in the Kursk Region. These are huge numbers given the considerable number of veterinarians in the Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision Service) system and in the regions.

Among the main reasons for the spread of the disease is the lack of system wide follow through on the part of local veterinary services, the negligence of local government and the blatant violation of elementary veterinary rules and standards.

The failure to fully understand the danger is obvious as is evidenced by the occasional deliberate concealment of the cases of the disease by local veterinary services.

Law enforcement must immediately take tough response measures. They must enforce the related articles of the Criminal Code that stipulate penalties for violating the regulations for veterinary animal management and negligence. They must use the Code and its penalties, and ensure that the court reaches the appropriate conclusions. The entire system of strong, preventive control measures must be developed and used. Unfortunately, it hasn't been working in the regions because of the habitual Russian hope for miracles. No miracles can happen with the hundreds of violations in the regions.

The staff must strengthen the coordination between the federal and regional bodies to eliminate African swine fever. At present, this coordination is minimal.

So, let's talk about how this enforcement is being carried out in the field. And let's not reduce our discussion to the lack or need of this or that legislative act. If we need more legislation, the Ministry of Agriculture can initiate it. If they are unable to make a change, we can help. But these documents won't be worth anything without enforcement and tough requirements regulating the transport of goods and feed waste.

Today we will also discuss the extra measures that must be taken to localise African swine fever in the south, mainly in the Krasnodar Territory. We will also consider the situation in the Central and Volga Federal Districts, specifically, in the Tver, Kursk, and Saratov Regions. We have already focused on these regions many times.

Only efficient work at all levels, including the federal, the regional and the municipal levels, will help stabilise the situation. I believe that the efficiency of regional heads' efforts should be estimated on the way regions have managed to put things in order."

At the end of the discussion, Viktor Zubkov requested that a draft law on veterinary medicine is submitted to the government within two weeks together with proposals for amendments to the Administrative Code that stipulate strengthening administrative responsibility and a drastic increase in fines for violating the veterinary law, including the issuance of various certificates and documents by veterinarians. The first deputy prime minister also made it clear to the regional heads that comprehensive farm inspections are unacceptable. "There mustn't be any campaigns. We only need control over African swine fever. Moreover, the responsible officers must assist companies and regularly raise awareness of the prevention of this dangerous animal disease without expecting compensation," the first deputy prime minister said. "We will check on these directives in three weeks," Viktor Zubkov concluded.