The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation plans to deprive 44 agricultural producers of state support in 2023 in connection with the burning of dry grass. Roman Nekrasov, Director of the Department of Crop Production, Mechanization, Chemicalization and Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, announced this during a speech in the Federation Council.
“Last year’s monitoring showed that in 12 subjects there were proven cases of deliberate arson of dry vegetation by agricultural producers, and 44 agricultural producers, we all know by name, will be deprived of state support this year,” Nekrasov noted.
In 2022, this norm was implemented in 14 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Nekrasov explained that, along with preventive work in this direction, the Ministry of Agriculture is also implementing measures of economic incentives for land users: for example, according to the norm in the state program for the development of agriculture, this is “the deprivation of state support measures for the unauthorized use of agricultural fires to destroy crop residues.”
He also recalled that according to the Land Code of the Russian Federation, land owners, land users, landowners and tenants are now required to take part in extinguishing fires that have arisen on the respective land plots.
“Thus, we are removing all legal obstacles so that land users, by their active actions, prevent the occurrence of fires and extinguish those that have already arisen. This obligation came into force in accordance with the current legislation on March 1, 2023," Nekrasov said.