But eggs, milk and vegetables are still lacking. It is assumed that the implementation of investment policy in the agricultural sector in the next two years will be able to increase the rational consumption rates of these products by 15-20%.
“In the context of the continuing anti-Russian sanctions, the implementation of the import substitution policy in the field of food, outlined by the President of Russia, is also one of the priority tasks of the Smolensk Region administration,” said Tatyana Rybchenko, Head of the Agriculture and Food Department, during a briefing, detailing key indicators.
So, at the end of 2017, the region supports itself by 165% due to its own production in potatoes, meat - by 103%, eggs - by 87%, milk - by 65%, vegetables - by 56%. The head of the department emphasized that at the present time, on behalf of the Governor Alexei Ostrovsky, negotiations are underway with potential investors in order to implement projects that in the future will ensure the development of lagging areas.
Tatyana Rybchenko also emphasized that the implementation of investment policy in the agricultural sector in the next two years will be able to increase the rational consumption rates of the main agricultural products by 15-20%: milk, meat, vegetables and potatoes. It is assumed that the volume of exports outside the region will also grow, including to Russian megalopolises. "Products manufactured by food and processing enterprises in the region comply with the international quality and safety system, and are in demand not only in the Smolensk region, but also abroad," said the head of the profile department.
An important direction in the implementation of the import substitution policy is the development of the cooperative movement in the region. In 2017, within the framework of the program of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Smolensk Region, for the first time, grant support was provided - the total amount of funding for the development of the material and technical base of two agricultural consumer cooperatives amounted to 81 million rubles, including 41 million in grant funds.
This allowed SSC "Sodeystvie", created on the basis of the Kozinsky greenhouse complex, to implement a project for the construction of a modern potato storage with a capacity of over 2,2 thousand tons of simultaneous storage, equipped with ventilation and refrigeration equipment, as well as an automated microclimate system. At the end of October last year, the facility was put into operation. Along with this, SPSK "Smolensk Producer" is reconstructing the acquired building for a dairy shop, which will increase production capacity to 30 tons per day. The social effect of the implementation of these two projects will be expressed in the creation of more than 20 new jobs for Smolyan residents.
“We have optimistic prospects in this direction. This year, all types of state support have been retained, both from the federal and regional budgets. This means that more funds will be directed to the development of small business and cooperation, ”Tatiana Rybchenko summed up.