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Putin to take part in All-Russia Agrarian Forum in Ufa

The forum was organized by the Russian Agrarian Movement and the Association of Russian Farmers and Agricultural Cooperatives

MOSCOW, February 28 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday will visit Ufa, the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan, to attend a plenary meeting of the All-Russia Agrarian Forum.

The forum was organized by the Russian Agrarian Movement and the Association of Russian Farmers and Agricultural Cooperatives. Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, who chairs the Russian Agrarian Movement, Minister of Agriculture Elena Skrynnik, and President of the Association of Russian Farmers and Agricultural Cooperatives Vladimir Plotnikov will also take part.

The forum is expected to draw more than 700 delegates from agro-industrial sector organizations, farms, sectoral associations and unions, research, educational and public organizations, including Association of Russian Farmers and Agricultural Cooperatives, the Russian Agrarian Movement, and the Central Union of Russia’s Consumer Societies.

“Participants will sum up the results of the sector, discuss pressing issues,and outline top-priority directions for the development of the agro-industrial sector,” the press service of the Russian government said.

In 2011, Russia’s agro-industrial sector demonstrated good results. Production grew by 22 percent. As many as 93.9 million tons of crops were harvested. The harvest of sunflower seeds increased by 80 percent to reach 9.6 million tons, the harvest of sugar beet doubled to stand at 47 million tons. It was enough to satisfy the domestic demand and form necessary reserves, and to regain Russia’s positions as a leading global exporter of grain. Apart from that, positive dynamics were reported in the meat cattle sector. Thus, poultry production in 2011 went up by 300,000 tons, pork production – by 100,000 tons (12 and 10 percent, respectively).

The state keeps rendering comprehensive support to farmers. In 2010-2011, about 400 billion roubles were allocated to support the agrarian sector. Some 170 billion roubles are planned to be allocated for these purposes in 2012.