Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday approved a plan to boost domestic food production and reduce the country's dependence on imports.
Russia' new food doctrine, which was worked out in line with its national security strategy until 2020, aims to increase domestic production of grain to 95% of the country's requirements, sugar to 80%, vegetable oil to 80%, meat and meat products to 85%, milk and dairy products to 90% and fish products to 80%.
The doctrine defines the strategic goal of Russia's food security as "the provision of the population with safe agricultural output, fish and other products from water bio-resources and foodstuffs."
The target of 95% of domestic grain output seems to be realistic, as Russia, which was a grain importer during the Soviet period, has managed to boost grain output in the past few years and transform into a leading grain exporter, with grain supplies to other countries expected to hit 38 million metric tons by 2015.
Meat production has also been rising steadily over the past few years.
At a meeting with the Russian president last week, Agriculture Minister Elena Skrynnik said domestic meat production grew 14% to 3.3 million metric tons last year, pushing imports down to 20%.
Russia's biggest meat headache today, however, involves the insufficient production of poultry. Analysts say the doctrine seems to coincide with Russia's recent announcement to ban poultry imports from the U.S. in an apparent bid to stimulate domestic production.
Russia banned imports of U.S. chlorine-treated poultry as of January 1, citing new safety requirements. Washington, which supplied 22% of poultry consumed in Russia last year, said the move would damage American poultry industry and push prices up for Russian consumers.
MOSCOW, February 1 (RIA Novosti)
