Collection and processing of wild plants can become a new source of additional income for the population of the Krasnoyarsk Territory

The harvesting and processing of wild plants, the production of organic products can become a new source of income for the population and entrepreneurs, as well as an incentive for the development of the self-employed institution in RUSSIA. Federal and regional experts at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum discussed how to quickly and effectively ensure the development of this area.
According to Alexei Mayorov, Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council on Agrarian Food Policy and Environmental Management, the biological reserve of forest food raw materials in Russia is about 13 million tons per year. Of these, more than 7 million tons are allowed for harvesting, and in fact only 2.5% of this volume is collected. More than 8 million people in the country now receive income from the sale of wild plants.
Experts believe that in order to involve entrepreneurs in the production of organic products and legalize the collection of wild plants, the state needs to create organizational, regulatory, financial and infrastructural conditions.
In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the development of procurement activities is one of the priority areas, said Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Territory - Minister of Agriculture and Trade Leonid Shorokhov. “On behalf of the Governor, active work has been underway in the region since 2020 to create procurement centers. This was made possible thanks to the unique support measures taken in the region. The significance of this initiative is expressed primarily in the social effect - residents of the region's districts get an opportunity for additional income and replenishment of the family budget. This is especially important now, during a difficult economic situation.”
Last year, four points were opened in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for the procurement and processing of wild-growing raw materials. Thanks to this, more than a thousand permanent and seasonal jobs have been created, about 300 tons of products have been harvested and processed, deliveries to the Moscow, Vologda and Kaluga regions have been organized.
The participants of the forum were presented with a model for the development of a network of procurement centers in the region, which will help bring organic products to the markets under the single Siberia organic brand. The project is being implemented by the Association "Assistance to Producers and Processors of Organic Products in the Krasnoyarsk Territory" and the "My Business" Center, which supports this initiative within the framework of the national project "Small and Medium Entrepreneurship".
“This year it is planned to open 22 procurement points in the region. These will be light mobile structures equipped for receiving and primary sorting of received raw materials. Then a single center in Krasnoyarsk will deal with further processing and sale of finished products. Chanterelle mushroom has been chosen as a pilot product for this year, but other positions may be added to it, ”explained Alexander Gramatunov, HEAD of the regional network of My Business centers.