Russian farm produce to grow 23% in five years - PM

"The five-year program provides for a substantial rise," Mikhail Fradkov told the government

Annual budget support for farming is to be gradually increased from 60 billion rubles this year to 130 billion in 2012, which is expected to secure agricultural growth of 4% a year against the current 2.8%, a government source said. "The total funding for five years will be 551.3 billion rubles [$22 billion]," the source said.

The Agriculture Ministry said it wanted to increase domestic meat and dairy consumption to 70 per cent of the total amount consumed, said a government source.

"It meets the interests of national product security," the source said, adding that no additional quotas on agricultural imports were expected. "If there are not enough domestic products, then the products should be imported," he said.

The program sets a target for growth in livestock farming of 5 per cent a year against 3 per cent today. Domestic meat products should take up 76.9 per cent of the market by 2012 against the current 57.7 per cent in 2006, and dairy products 81.1 per cent against 77.8 per cent, the source said.

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