President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Friends, I congratulate you from all my heart on this harvest festival!
When I heard from the Governor about the harvest you have gathered this year in Krasnodar Territory, there was simply no way I could not come and congratulate you on what really is an outstanding achievement. I want to say thank you to you on behalf of our entire country.
We have just heard various numbers that really strike the imagination, especially when you consider the prospects and plans we have ahead. The fact that almost a quarter of farms in the region have reaped a harvest of more than 60 quintals per hectare, and a number of them (12, it was said) even got 70 or 80 quintals per hectare, is very impressive indeed.
It makes me all the happier to hear this after the very difficult time we had last year. In Krasnodar Territory the situation turned out alright, but failed harvests caused quite serious problems in other parts of the country. That you have achieved such a good result so far is certainly the result of this region’s grain growers’ hard work, and once again, thank you for this.
I think we should give due credit to everyone who worked hard and contributed their bit to achieving this important result that is not at all so easy to obtain. We have to think about the future too, and the future means promoting the use of new technology. A lot of progress has taken place over these last years. I saw from the helicopter before how smooth and well-cultivated the Krasnodar lands look. Speaking from my heart, I really feel pride at the way our homeland looks today.
This is your work, the fruit of your labour, the labour of those who grow the grain and give all their energy and determination to agriculture, which remains a difficult sector even today, when we have new equipment at our disposal. The picture might look positively rosy today compared with say, 15–20 years ago, but this job remains very difficult even so.
This is all the more reason for employers and the state authorities to give it the recognition it deserves. This is why we need to do everything possible to ensure that everyone engaged in agriculture, everyone gathering the harvest, earns a decent wage. This is a task for all of us and something that we will work on without question.
It is equally important to encourage young people come back to the countryside. The situation is more or less alright in this respect in Krasnodar Territory, but there is a need to build housing for young people and ensure demand for the main skills and professions that modern intensive agriculture technologies require.
I am sure that Kuban Agricultural University and other education institutions will play their part in this respect, and I am confident that we can expect brilliant results ahead. I am very happy to be with you here today, and I sincerely wish you and your families excellent results, health and happiness. Happy holiday! Good on you, we are proud of you! Thank you!