May 20, 2008
 

Russia PM calls for increase in grain production, protection of domestic interests

 

 

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called Monday for stabilizing food prices and stepping up agricultural production, the Prime-Tass news agency reported.

 

Putin particularly proposed increasing annual grain output to 1 tonne per capita, compared with 81.8 million tonnes, or 0.58 tonnes per capita, in 2007.

 

Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev recently said the government hopes to boost this to 85 million tonnes this year.

 

"Our policy should make sure that food prices are affordable and stable and...should create incentives for the development of efficient agricultural production," he said at a meeting of government officials on agricultural issues.

 

He said agriculture would be one of his government's key priorities.

 

Putin said price stability could be achieved due to more efficient antitrust regulation and subsidies, as well as through government purchases and sales on food markets and customs policy.

 

He instructed the government to revise agricultural agreements with other countries to protect the "interests of domestic producers and consumers."

 

Putin said he believed the output of meat, milk and grain should be increased in order to reduce Russia's dependence on global food markets.

 

A consumer rights agency, Rospotrebnadzor yesterday urged the justice department to ban frozen meat from being processed into meat products. This would have implications for imported meat as about 15 percent of its imported poultry is processed and half the imported red meat. Russia imports 30 percent of its red meat and 40 percent of its poultry requirements.

 

Meanwhile, Gordeyev called for reducing food imports and increasing government subsidies to Russian farmers.