State support for potato growing in the South Urals will triple

it is planned to allocate more than 50 million rubles for the cultivation of potatoes in the South Urals this year, three times more than in 2022. This became possible thanks to participation in the federal project to stimulate the production of potatoes and vegetables, which started this year, as well as the preservation of regional support for potato growers.
- Of the eight directions of the federal project, the Chelyabinsk region will participate in six directions, involving the payment of subsidies for various purposes, - says Anna Kozhevina, HEAD of the department for the development of crop production and small forms of farming of the regional ministry - Including subsidies for potatoes will be paid per unit area occupied under plantings, for each ton of potatoes produced and for the purchase of elite seeds.
Thus, the rate of support per hectare for small businesses amounted to ten thousand rubles. In 2021, it barely exceeded three thousand, and in 2022 it amounted to 4,190 rubles per hectare. In total, per hectare subsidies for potatoes amounted to 12 million rubles, until April 1, the funds will go to the winners of the selection. The subsidy makes it possible to reimburse the costs of diesel fuel, pesticides and agrochemicals, spare parts for agricultural machinery and seeds of the first and second reproduction.
Large farms that do not belong to small businesses are paid subsidies from the regional budget as part of unrelated support. For these purposes, they have already been paid 6.5 million rubles, the subsidy rate amounted to 10 thousand rubles.
Another 27 million rubles are planned to be paid per unit of output. The rate for each ton of potatoes produced will be 900 rubles, according to the forecast of the ministry. This is a new subsidy. Subsidies will be paid only for potatoes obtained from conditioned seeds. And up to 40 thousand rubles as compensation, farmers and enterprises will receive for each ton of elite seeds used for sowing this year. It is planned to allocate 4.9 million rubles for these purposes.
- Currently, we are monitoring the purchase of elite seeds, and by the end of May we will know how many farms we have will receive subsidies and how many hectares of potatoes will be planted with elite varieties. This is very important, because sotrorenewal contributes to the improvement of the seed material, increasing the yield. In the future, enterprises will receive seeds of the first reproduction from the elite, which will already be used for the production of marketable potatoes, - said Anna Kozhevina - Before the start of the sowing farm, they can still have time to purchase the seeds of the elite.
To receive subsidies for elite seeds, there must be a certificate confirming that the seeds are produced under the terms of GOST. After planting, it is necessary to test the crops. Payment of subsidies will be made after the harvest - in August-September.
Potato growers also benefit from the fact that potato cultivation is also a priority for other types of subsidies. Thus, when paying subsidies for mineral fertilizers, first of all, subsidies will go to potatoes with a guarantee of reimbursement of 35% of the costs. Potato cultivation is defined as a priority in the payment of subsidies for work with arable land: the inclusion of land in circulation, hydro- and chemical reclamation. And, finally, subsidies are paid in the region for the so-called capex - the construction and modernization of potato and vegetable storage facilities. Depending on the amount of the annual limit of funds and projects implemented in previous years, capexes managed to reimburse up to 35% of the costs for the construction and modernization of new agro-industrial complex facilities.
Scientists also offer cooperation with the possibility of developing production. Having provided the seeds of the elite for sowing, the scientists are ready to carry out the necessary procedures, in particular, the necessary approbation of the crops. The farmer only needs to carry out all the operations that he usually carries out in the field and harvest. It will be divided in half between the institute (YUUNIISK) and the farm, or the farmer can take the entire crop at half price. As a result, scientists receive the necessary scientific material and scale the variety, and the farmer can choose the variety that turned out to be the most responsive to care and yield. Such a scheme has already been implemented in one of the farms of the Argayash region. The farm may also enter into an R&D contract. In this case, the farmer's expenses for scientific research will be reimbursed from the regional budget.

Press Center of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Chelyabinsk Region