In 2024, 28 million rubles were allocated for the “Young Reindeer Herder” program in Yakutia

In 2023, Yakutia returned to the top three Russian leaders in the number of domesticated reindeer. Over the past five years, the number of these animals in the republic has increased to 170 thousand heads. 

The growth of livestock is facilitated by grant support for enterprises that are engaged in traditional types of agriculture and receive funding within the framework of the Small and Medium Enterprises project. This project was launched in RUSSIA in 2019 at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin with the aim of supporting and developing business, including the agricultural sector. 

As for the “Young Reindeer Herder” program, it provides the right to receive a social benefit in the amount of 1 million rubles for reindeer herders under 35 years of age who have been engaged in domestic reindeer herding for at least five years. The right to payment is granted only once, and the recipient must work in the industry for another five years. 

In 2020, 11 million rubles were allocated for payments under the “Young Reindeer Herder” program, in 2021-2022 - 20 million rubles annually, last year the implementation was suspended and resumed in the current year, 2024, with an amount of 28 million rubles . 

“Social benefits can be used to pay for purchased residential premises, for the construction of a residential building, to pay the last payment of the share contribution in full, after which the residential premises become the property of a young reindeer herder, to pay the down payment when receiving a housing loan and to repay the principal amount debt and payment of interest on housing loans, including mortgages, or housing loans for the purchase of residential premises or construction of a residential building,” explains the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Until 2021, this program operated only in the Arctic zone, and then became available in all regions of Yakutia. Over the past three years, this type of support has been received by 51 young reindeer herders from Aldansky, Anabarsky, Bulunsky, Verkhnekolymsky, Zhigansky, Kobyaisky, Momsky, Neryungrisky, Nizhnekolymsky, Oymyakonsky, Oleneksky, Tomponsky, Ust-Yansky and Eveno-Bytantaisky uluses.