Opening the working discussion on the situation in the agro-industrial complex, the President noted that, according to experts, drought, similar to what happened in the current agricultural season, was recorded for the last time in 1946. That post-war time, the state was not able to support agrarians. Today, despite all the difficulties associated with the pandemic, land users who suffered serious losses due to the lack of high-grade precipitation from August last year should receive state aid, set the task Vadim Krasnoselsky. He asked how work is progressing in this direction.
The PMR Prime Minister Alexander Martynov informed the President that the projected losses would amount to about 300 million rubles according to preliminary estimates. A set of measures formed by members of a specially created working group is called upon to soften the blow. It included representatives of the legislative and executive branches of Government, agricultural business, banking community and the State Reserve Fund. A list of proposed measures of state support was formulated, based on the results of several meetings. The project has six points. One of the initiatives is lending to agricultural producers to cover the deficit of working capital. Three out of eleven bank percent, according to government proposal, will be subsidized by the state. Loan repayment period is until 2022. The size is based on an amount of not more than $ 200 per hectare of land, the yield on which exceeded 50%. It is proposed to extend credit in the framework of agricultural investment programs. The plans include exemption from share fees, land tax and agricultural tax (relative to lost crops), almost halving the income tax rate for agricultural processors. According to the Government, benefits and loans should be provided on the basis of acts on the crop loss.
Such support will cost the state tens of millions of rubles (non-collection of land tax - 17.5 million, mutual fund will not receive 12 million, etc.). In this regard, the issue of the subjects of the alleged state support is carefully studied. For example, the feasibility of including agricultural enterprises that suffered losses as a result of frosts (rapeseed fields and 1500 hectares of fruit plantations) was discussed. There is an opinion that annual frosts are not a force majeure circumstance, but a standard agricultural entrepreneurial risk. Others are convinced that the approach to the issue of state support should be uniform, regardless of the nature of the natural tests that have broken down agricultural enterprises.
The topic of a separate conversation during the meeting under the President was land reclamation. It was said that entrepreneurs who relied on irrigated agriculture did not suffer losses due to drought. This confirms feasibility of investing in the development of the reclamation complex, which agribusiness and the state should develop together, said Vadim Krasnoselsky. It was noted during the meeting that over the year, the area of irrigated land increased from 12800 hectares to 17000 hectares. Without the construction of public water mains at the public expense, expanding the network is quite problematic. Now the issue of reconstruction of irrigation systems in Tashlyk and Chobruchi is acute.
Pros and cons of the support measures proposed by the government were discussed during the working discussion, additional initiatives were heard. After exchange of views, the meeting participants came to the conclusion that it was too early to submit the draft for consideration as law-in-draft in the framework of tomorrow's plenary session of the Supreme Council. The President recommended a “zero reading” on his subject. The President called important the fact that all parties supported provision of feasible state assistance to agrarians. Its form, size and mechanism of provision will be approved after extensive discussion.
