State support for agriculture to increase from 158 bln rubles in 2013 to 173 bln rubles in 2015 - Dvorkovich
MOSCOW. July 13 (Interfax) - State support of Russia's agricultural sector in the framework of a program to develop the sector in 2013-2020 will increase from 158 billion rubles in 2013 to 174 billion rubles in 2015, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said at a briefing on Friday in response to a question about total financing for the sector in the next three years.
Dvorkovich said that total financing consists of two components: the core of the program and expenditures, which are earmarked for its implementation. These are the costs for supporting state and government organs such as the Agricultural Ministry and agro-watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor.
Noting that support for agriculture this year through the state program will come to 165 billion rubles (136 billion rubles for supporting agro-producers plus 20 billion rubles in expenditures for the program's implementation), Dvorkovich said this figure would increase to 158 billion rubles in 2013 (137 billion rubles and 21 billion rubles, respectively). "A billion rubles will be added to this figure in 2014," he added.
Dvorkovich said that financing in 2015 will come to 174 billion rubles (152 billion and 22 billion rubles, respectively).
He added that the profit margin for agricultural production should reach over 10% a year during the state program's implementation. It now comes to under 9%, Dvorkovich said.
"We consider 15% ideal but this very much depends on what happens on world market and climate conditions," he said, adding "but 10% is quite a satisfactory guidance".
Dvorkovich also said that there are sub-sectors in agriculture where results are higher such as poultry production. However, output in cattle-raising is quite low. "We will pull up the remaining sectors to a suitable level," he said.
