State Council Secretary Igor Levitin and Head of the State Council working group on agriculture, Governor of the Altai Territory Viktor Tomenko held a meeting of the working group to prepare a State Council meeting on State agriculture policy: Efficient farm production and development of rural areas.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, Presidential Adviser Alexandra Levitskaya, Lipetsk Region Governor Igor Artamonov, Chair of the State Duma Committee on Agriculture Vladimir Kashin, deputy heads of Russian regions in charge of agriculture, representatives of the federal and regional government agencies concerned, academic and expert organisations.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut presented a draft report on the results of the development of agriculture and related industries in 2014–2019 and an analysis of the development of rural areas over the same period.
The report outlines the prospective development areas for agriculture and related industries and state policy priorities in the development of rural areas in general, including the development of small businesses in villages, employment support for village residents and creation of a comfortable environment in rural areas with a focus on the implementation of the national projects and the state programme Comprehensive Development of Rural Areas, which will be launched in 2020.
The report also lays out the key factors for developing agribusinesses and increasing the attractiveness of rural areas for life and work.
In general, the working group approved the report, which will be reviewed at the State Council meeting in December 2019.