Novosibirsk authorities will reduce state support for farms where there is a risk of leukemia

The authorities of the Novosibirsk region are planning to change the conditions for providing state support to those farmers who are not engaged in the improvement of cows from leukemia - an incurable disease of cattle, due to which the region's farms previously suffered large economic losses. Now there are more than 100 farms in the region that do not improve their livestock, said the Minister of Agriculture of the region Yevgeny Leshchenko during an operational meeting of the regional government on Monday.

Bovine leukemia is leukemia, a malignant disease of the hematopoietic system. In 2017, the situation with bovine leukemia in the region was recognized as unfavorable. In the Novosibirsk region, restrictions were introduced on the EXPORT of raw MILK and MEAT, which caused losses to up to 70% of the region's farms.

"It is proposed to change the procedure for the formation of groups of subjects of state support, depending on the implementation of the action plan for the improvement of the herd. <...> As before, 50% of our cows are virus carriers [leukemia]," Leshchenko said.

Improvement of livestock involves a gradual increase in the number of healthy animals (through the alienation of livestock) in the economy to replace those who are at high risk of developing leukemia. According to Leshchenko, now in the Novosibirsk region 25% of the livestock in 103 farms are unfavorable for leukemia. If the farms do not start work on rehabilitation, they may lose state support, the minister stressed.

"In the direction of compensating part of the costs for the purchase of technical means and equipment for agricultural production, it is proposed to reduce the groups (subjects of state support) from the first to the second and from the second to the third, which automatically leads to a decrease in subsidies in the most demanded area of ​​state support," summed up Leshchenko.

In the structure of exports of the Novosibirsk region, a significant share is occupied by agricultural products. The Baraba steppe, located within the Novosibirsk and Omsk regions, is the most important area for dairy farming, butter-making and agriculture throughout Western Siberia.