In order to maintain high rates of development of the agro-industrial complex and seasonal work of the highest quality in 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia sent a proposal to the Government of the Russian Federation to adjust the algorithm of actions to attract foreign citizens to the economy of the Russian Federation. The issues of providing labor resources to the agricultural sector were discussed yesterday at a headquarters meeting to monitor the situation with socially significant products, which was chaired by the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Russia, Dzhambulat Khatuov.

As noted at the event, a set of measures was implemented last year to ensure the uninterrupted performance of seasonal fieldwork. Even in the conditions of the border closure due to the pandemic, the personnel problem was solved, for which the department, together with the regions, did a great job to redistribute specialists from other sectors of the economy. The total need for the agribusiness complex for migrant workers has been cut by more than half, from 100,000 to around 41,000 people. Thanks to this work, the industry showed growth in all key areas and became one of the engines of the recovery of the national economy.

At the same time, for a further dynamic development of the agro-industrial complex, the expansion of cultivated areas and the increase of export potential in various regions, it is still necessary to attract foreign workers. About 2/3 of it falls on regions such as Volgograd, Astrakhan and Moscow, which is due to the significant concentration of vegetable farms with the use of labor. A similar situation has developed in several other issues, for example, in the Voronezh and Lipetsk regions. First, as in many other sectors of the world economy, agriculture requires primary workers: for planting and harvesting, caring for animals, and other basic jobs. At the same time, the Russian agro-industrial complex currently has qualified specialists: agronomists, veterinarians, machine operators.

In 2020, the operational headquarters to prevent the importation and spread of a new coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation approved an algorithm of actions to attract foreign citizens to the economy. At the same time, most agricultural producers do not meet the criteria specified therein and currently do not have the opportunity to invite migrant workers. So, in particular, the average number of employees of companies should be 250 people, and income should exceed 2 billion rubles. In this regard, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture presented proposals to improve this algorithm and soften the requirements for agricultural companies. As noted at the meeting, this will allow seasonal work to be carried out in the country as efficiently as possible and generally support the sustainable development of the agricultural sector.

Also during the headquarters meeting, the participants discussed the price situation in the mineral fertilizer market. According to information from various regions, there is currently a price increase in this segment for certain categories. At the same time, the availability of mineral fertilizers and the constant increase in their use are issues of fundamental importance for increasing agricultural production. According to Dzhambulat Khatuov, the key task today is to develop measures to stabilize the situation in this market together with the producers of mineral fertilizers, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the FAS.