Participants in the meeting discussed a national report on implementing the state programme for the development of agriculture and regulation of the markets of agricultural produce, raw products and food in 2008-2012. The total funding of the programme from the federal budget amounted to 137.6 billion roubles in 2012. During the five years of its implementation, the growth rates of agricultural production of all enterprises reached 116.8% (versus the planned 121.7%); the figures for crop farming were 114.6% (115.9%), and 114.9% (127.7%) for livestock production.

In 2012 the indicators of our food security (the share of domestic produce in overall resources, including the structure of carryover stock) were as follows: grain – 98.9%, sugar – 95.5%, meat and meat products – 74.6%, milk and dairy produce – 79.6%. Exports of agricultural produce, raw products and food reached 16.6 billion dollars – a record for all years of market transformation. The gap between exports and imports dropped to $23.6 billion against $30.5 billion in 2011.

While carrying out the programme, we implemented the plan of the food security doctrine by exceeding the indicator for Russia’s share in the production of meat and meat products by 0.5%, and the indicator for the available resources of private households in rural areas by 1.1%. The remaining 10 planned indicators were not reached, mostly because of bad weather and droughts. Another reason is that the programme was drafted in 2007 and has remained the same ever since. It has not been adjusted, neither after the financial crisis nor after the dry years of 2009 and 2010.

In 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture started implementing the state programme for developing agriculture to 2020, taking into account old mistakes. About 60 billion roubles have been transferred to the regions to support agriculture. This is more than double the relevant figure for last year. Participants in the meeting also discussed a draft federal targeted programme for the sustainable development of rural lands in 2014-2017 and until 2020. Under this programme there are plans to create modern jobs in rural areas, upgrade the infrastructure, improve housing conditions and supply villages with gas.

The programme will be funded from the federal budget (90.4 billion roubles), regional budgets (150.6 billion roubles) and extra-budgetary sources (58.1 billion roubles).