The State Duma Committee on Agrarian Issues supported the draft federal budget for 2023-2025 and recommended that the lower house of parliament adopt it in the first reading, reports official website of the Eurasian Center for Food Security.
In the conclusion of the Committee, it is noted that, compared with the volumes of budget allocations provided for in the original passport of the State Program for Involving Land in Circulation, approved in 2021, the volumes of budget allocations have been reduced by 6,1 billion rubles. (14%) in 2023, by 15,3 billion rubles. (26,1%) in 2024 and by 28,2 billion rubles. (47,2%) in 2025. At the same time, the Committee drew attention to the need to clarify the parameters of the state program for involving agricultural land in circulation and increasing federal budget expenditures for the purpose of its implementation in connection with the admission to Russia and the formation of four new subjects within the Russian Federation - the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. There are more than 7 million hectares of arable land in these territories, as well as objects of the reclamation complex, incl. providing water supply to the Republic of Crimea. The Committee also notes that the volume of budget allocations for the implementation of the state program "Development of the fishery complex" was reduced in 2023 by 0,375 billion rubles, in 2024 by 0,313 billion rubles and "the proposed financing parameters do not allow for the necessary dynamics of the development of the fishery complex."
At the same time, during the meeting of the Committee, the deputies made a number of comments that they recommend eliminating at the stage of finalizing the draft budget for the second reading. Thus, the Chairman of the Committee on Agrarian Issues Vladimir Kashin pointed out the need to increase funding for the state program to involve new lands in agricultural circulation. He noted as a gratifying fact that in the face of sanctions, the Government is increasing support for farmers. “At the same time, we see that some programs are underfunded,” said Vladimir Kashin. As an example, he cited a program to involve new agricultural land in circulation. “Now 37,4 billion have been allocated for it, while the planned value is 43,5 billion,” the parliamentarian added. In his opinion, the budget needs to be adjusted to ensure that the financing of this program goes according to plan.
As noted by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Agrarian Issues Nadezhda Shkolkina, there is an understanding in the Committee that more and more ambitious tasks are set for agriculture. “For example, a task has been set to put into circulation new or abandoned agricultural lands (about 13 million hectares), which cannot be done without appropriate equipment or reclamation measures. Therefore, we drew the attention of the Government of the Russian Federation to these point and key points, namely, to consider the possibility of increasing funds from the federal budget for the purchase of machinery by agricultural producers on preferential terms and the development of the reclamation complex,” she said. Parliamentarians did not bypass the living conditions of residents of rural areas. “We also drew the attention of the Government of the Russian Federation to this moment and asked, if possible, to increase funding for the program for the integrated development of rural areas, and I hope we will be heard,” said the Deputy Chairman of the Committee. “Given the importance of food security and, accordingly, the importance of the agro-industrial complex for the country, I have no doubt that, if necessary, we can always apply to the Russian government with a request to allocate additional funds to support a particular sub-sector of the agro-industrial complex, as was the case this year. For example, the allocation of additional funds from the federal budget for preferential lending, including for spring field work or an increase in funds for preferential rural mortgages,” Shkolkina emphasized.