Russia brings 3.3 mln ha of unused agricultural land into circulation over 4 years - Agriculture Ministry
MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax) - The implementation of the Land state program (on bringing agricultural land into circulation and developing Russia's reclamation system) made it possible to restore 3.3 million hectares of unused agricultural land in 2022-2025.
"In 2025, the figure of 3.3 million hectares since the start of the program's implementation [in 2022] was achieved. The planned value was 3.08 million hectares," Deputy Agriculture Minister Maxim Borovoi said at a meeting of the subcommittee on financial control of the Federation Council's Committee on the Budget and Financial Markets on Tuesday.
The area of land preserved in crop rotation through reclamation measures amounted to 4.9 million ha on an accrual basis, compared to the planned value of 4.7 million ha.
During the implementation of the program, "there are certain rough edges with land surveying and cadastral registration, which is due to the low activity of municipalities," Borovoi said. However, recently, "this work has been put on a new track," with information systems helping to see all unused lands and plans for their return to crop rotation being formed in the regions.
The total area of irrigated land amounted to 1.2 million ha in 2025, he said. "We set the task of increasing it to 1.8 million hectares," he said. At the same time, Borovoi recalled that developing the reclamation system is accompanied by state support measures. In particular, up to 50% of costs for irrigation and drainage as well as hydrotechnical measures are reimbursed. For phytoreclamation and forest reclamation measures, the reimbursement level has been increased to 90%, he said.
Speaking about the reconstruction of the Fedorovsky Hydroelectric Complex, on which the rice farming of Kuban (Russia's main rice-growing region) depends, Borovoi confirmed the previously announced plan to commission this facility in 2027.
The state program for involving agricultural land into circulation and developing Russia's reclamation system was developed by the Agriculture Ministry following instructions issued by the Russian president based on the results of the State Council meeting in December 2019. In May 2021, it was approved by the government. The implementation of the state program, which is meant to take place over 10 years, began in 2022. During this period, it is planned hat at least 13 million ha will be brought into circulation.
The area of unused agricultural land in Russia is estimated at almost 44 million ha, of which 20 million ha is arable land.
