Participants in the meeting devoted special attention to the need for the stable domestic production of food and other agricultural products.
Minister of Agriculture Nikolai Fyodorov said the reserves of basic food and other agricultural products at the beginning of 2013 were sufficient for ensuring the country’s food security. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, food independence in grain reached 98.9% in 2012, which was 3.9% higher than the threshold established by the Food Security Doctrine. The figures on sugar, vegetable oil and potatoes were also above the threshold.
Last year, the production of slaughter cattle and poultry (in live weight) amounted to 11.6 million tonnes at farms of all categories, which was a 6.1% increase over 2011. The output of slaughter poultry reached 4.8 million tonnes, and 42 billion eggs were produced. The production of slaughter pigs reached 3.3 million tonnes. The catch of fish and other water bio-resources was 4,264,000 tonnes, or about the same as in 2011.
Mr Fyodorov said these results had gradually reduced the domestic market’s dependence on imported basic agricultural products and had allowed for increased exports. In 2012, Russia imported $40.2 billion worth of products or 5.5% less than a year before and exported $16.6 billion worth of products or 24.5% more than in 2011.
Estimates predict growing domestic production of food and other agricultural products in 2013. The sales of fresh vegetables are expected to grow faster than those of other food products. Under the contracts concluded by the Ministry of Agriculture and the regions that are part of the state programme for agricultural development in 2013-2020, the production of slaughter cattle and poultry in live weight is expected to reach 11.92 million tonnes, and that of milk, 32.5 million tonnes.
