A meeting was held in the Amur Region, at which the authorities, together with farmers, discussed measures to support vegetable growers, reports press service of AKKOR (Association of Peasant (Farm) Enterprises and Agricultural Cooperatives of Russia).
According to Vladimir Yusupov, Executive Director of the Non-Commercial Partnership of Peasant (Farmer) Farms, Agricultural Cooperatives and Personal Ancillary Farms of the Amur Region "Far Eastern Agrarian", measures for the development of potato and vegetable growing need to be strengthened.
In 2021, Amur farmers grew 16,7 thousand tons of potatoes and 5,58 thousand tons of vegetables. At the meeting, it was said that this year the production of potatoes and vegetables will increase to 35 thousand tons and 13 thousand tons, respectively, and by 2025 the production of potatoes should increase by 3,8 times (+ 46,3 thousand tons of potatoes); vegetables - by 6,7 times (+ 31,9 thousand tons). The main volume of production, for example, of potatoes now falls on small forms of management, of which the majority is on private household plots (about 88%) and more than 10% on peasant farms.
“Judging by the data, in 2022 it is planned to increase the area for vegetables by 200 hectares, or 8,8%, for potatoes - by 600 hectares, or 5,5%. But the result of this cannot be an increase in production by 2,34 times. For such growth, a multiple increase in productivity is necessary,” Vladimir Yusupov believes.
He clarified: “If the increase in areas for potatoes is 600 hectares, then with an average yield of 15 tons per hectare, the volume of potatoes grown on new areas will be only 9 tons. Then the total volume of potato production in the region will be 25 thousand tons, not 35. And we need to understand this now.”
This year, the Amur Ministry of Agriculture is offering farmers new additional support measures - a subsidy of 70 rubles for each hectare of increased area under potatoes and vegetables. 40 million rubles are allocated for this direction in the budget. Vladimir Yusupov assessed the introduction of subsidies positively - as measures that stimulate development. The authorities expect to provide the population of the region with affordable potatoes and vegetables - this task is understandable. The executive director of the regional branch of AKKOR also approached the authorities with an initiative.
“I represent the anchor farmers, and we propose that a compensatory subsidy be introduced - 30-40 thousand rubles per hectare. This support is needed for those peasant farms that are already in production. And farmers, feeling that they are being met, will be able to change the situation in this area,” said Vladimir Yusupov.