AgMin reaches agreement with MinFin to increase state support to 302.3 bln rubles in 2019
MOSCOW. Sept 25 (Interfax) - The Russian Agriculture Ministry has reached an agreement with the Finance Ministry to increase state support for agriculture to 302.3 billion rubles, Deputy Agriculture Minister Yelena Fastova told journalists on Wednesday.
"At the moment everything has been agreed with the Finance Ministry, all the debates have finished, a draft budget submitted to the government," she said.
Fastova said that state support for the industry at 302.3 billion rubles is in the draft. The agreed increase in financing "is made up of two parts; the current increase to the state program and additional funds have also been included as part of a new national project to export agricultural produce," she said.
Fastova said that she hopes the Agriculture Ministry will be supported during the adoption and confirmation of the budget in the State Duma and Federation Council. "We will defend the interests of the sector. I think that they will support us," she said.
The Agriculture Ministry proposed increasing the amount of state support in 2019 by 63.6 billion rubles compared to 2018.
The amount of financing to implement measures for the state program to develop agriculture in 2019 has been limited to 242.6 billion rubles compared to 238.7 billion rubles this year. The ministry considers this insufficient to develop priority areas in agriculture and to execute a number of presidential and government instructions.
The ministry agreed with the Finance Ministry's proposals on the necessary budget allocations at 302.3 billion rubles for 2019. Implementing the state program will require 258.3 billion rubles. This is mainly about increasing funding for subsidized lending, the "unified" subsidy and the sub-program for the development of land reclamation and rural areas.
A further 44 billion rubles is earmarked for the agricultural export project.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Gordeyev has given his support to the ministry's position.