The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation held a meeting on the provision of vegetables and potatoes to the population of the Far Eastern Federal District. The meeting was held by videoconference chaired by the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation D.Kh. Khatuova.
Information on the provision of the population of the Far Eastern Federal District subjects with vegetables and potatoes was presented to the meeting participants by A.V. Biryukova. Representatives of industry unions spoke about the situation with specific vegetable products in the regions of the okrug, raising questions of tariffs for their transportation, availability of storage facilities, etc.
The meeting was informed by the Director of the Department of Plant Growing, Mechanization, Chemicalization and Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia R.V. about the current state and production of potatoes and vegetables in the Far Eastern Federal District Nekrasov. In particular, he said that the root of the problem is that in the regions of the federal district over the past 30 years, there has been a decrease in the production of potatoes and vegetables, as well as sown areas. Moreover, the reduction in volumes and hectares is more significant than in the Russian Federation as a whole. So, in 2019, according to preliminary data, potatoes were harvested 201,4 thousand tons, which is 34,1% of the 1990 level. In the okrug, potato and vegetable crop yields are not growing so fast as in the country, which is also an obstacle to the task of providing the population with food.
According to Roman Vladimirovich, the yield problem is closely intertwined with the quality of the seed material: for example, non-varietal seeds and seeds of varieties not included in the State Register of Selection Achievements account for 71% of the total volume of all sown crops and 49% for vegetables. This situation requires close attention, including the Rosselkhoztsentr, and correction, the director of the Department of Plant Production, Mechanization, Chemicalization and Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia R.V. Nekrasov.
In his report, Roman Vladimirovich dwelled on the structure of vegetable production, which is dominated by products produced in the open field, which means that questions arise about the preservation of the harvest and the availability of modern vegetable stores in the region, logistics, etc. One way to solve the problem is to reorient to the production of vegetables in modern greenhouse complexes. The speaker touched upon the issues of cost and profitability, it was noted that it is beneficial to engage in vegetables in the Far East provided that high-quality seeds are used and production technology is observed.
At the meeting, representatives of the agro-industrial complex governing bodies of the subjects of the Far Eastern Federal District, heads of regional associations of farms, farmers, and farmers were heard;
Summing up the meeting, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation D.Kh. Khatuov noted that the task of the working group participating in the conference, which will be convened at the Russian Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesdays, is to formulate a strategy for the development of vegetable production in the Far Eastern Federal District in closed and open ground, and ultimately switch to full self-sufficiency, which eliminates the need for import . It is necessary to build business models that would ensure the profitability of production. Tools for this are available, starting with state support of manufacturers, grant opportunities, scientific support of production, etc.