Russian Ag Minister confirms plans to up grain harvest to 95 mln tonnes in 2013
BRASILIA, Brazil. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Russian Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov has confirmed the ministry's previously scheduled plans to boost the grain harvest from 70.7 million tonnes last year to 95 million tonnes this year.
"We are doing everything, including increasing financing for spring sowing work, to reach 95 million tonnes of grain. So far, all of the work is moving towards getting 95 million tonnes," Fyodorov told reporters during Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's working visit to Brasilia on Thursday.
Medvedev has given the order to look into an additional 42 billion rubles in financing for the agriculture sector.
"Together with the Finance Ministry, we should present concrete calculations on where to allocate this amount to the prime minister by the end of February," Fyodorov said.
The Agriculture Ministry proposes allocating 15 billion rubles to hog, poultry, egg and milk producers, as well as at least 10 billion rubles in per-hectare support. It also wants to send 5 billion rubles to the regions to reimburse debt on short-term investment loans for last year.
In addition, the Agriculture Ministry suggests additional financing for new investment projects to be implemented in 2013, as well as for the program to revamp agricultural machinery.
