April 7, 2008

Russia takes steps towards improving grain production

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture is making a concerted effort to increase soil fertility, with plans to reclaim 700,000 hectares of unused agricultural lands in 2008, according to a USDA attache report.

The ministry would also implement measures to combat water and wind erosion as well as desertification.

The ministry also intends to take a more proactive approach towards soil improvement, the adoption of modern agricultural technologies and land ownership issues.

The Ministry of Agriculture reports that, by mid-March 2008, the regions had accumulated 6.1 million tonnes of seed, 97 percent of the needed supply.

The Ministry of Agriculture plans to increase the share of land sown with elite seed to 8 percent of total area sown, an increase of 1 percent from 2007.

The government has also allocated 477million rubles (US$20.2 million) from the 2008 Federal budget towards this effort.

A further 400 million rubles (US$17 million) would be allocated to the Far North to ensure adequate feed supply.