Today the problem of social development in villages is urgent in Russia. Tribuna’s guest is deputy chairwoman of the Federation Council Committee for Agricultural and Food Policy and Management of Nature, a senator of the Chelyabinsk Oblast, Irina Gekht.
- Let us talk about the bills recently discussed at this session, including the bill on agricultural land circulation. We are talking about acquisition of such lands if they are not used. What criteria are there? How common are the precedents? I know that there are such precedents. Is there any need to diminish land for any needs?
- The issue has been on the agenda for a long time, but it has not progressed at all because so many people want to get land in this issue, just as many want to keep it, including members of the State Duma, because the law has been introduced several times, but it has never passed the first reading. The current version of the bill says that indeed, acquisition is possible three years after its affirmation, two additional years are given to make use of the land. The current version stipulates that even if a municipal or some other body of power addresses the court with the demand, the owner usually rewrites the land and gets five more years of amnesty to do what he wants.
I introduced the bill together with senator of the Smolensk Oblast Anatoly Ivanovich Mishnev. We propose changing the situation, reducing the term to a year given for exploitation of a land lot, thus, its two instead of three years in case of idleness. We offer to remove reissuance and to determine the term from applying for the ownership rights tp a land lot, regardless of who applied for it. Thus, removing another gap and opportunity.
For now, the law does not require any additional budgetary funds, we have sent it to the State Duma and we have unfortunately received a response, which is necessary for the conclusion of the government. It emphasizes again that it is a politically complicated issue, because it affects the interests of several sides, which is why we are awaiting a conclusion of the government for the law, and eventually we will probably try and raise the issue, so that the land would be given to people and used according to its purpose.
That is why, first of all, it is land covered in parvifoliate trees, plus there are the problems when, let us say, a locust plague happens. Also, when there is no owner, the opportunities for cultivation are quite complicated. That is why it is necessary to make use of agricultural lands. Nonetheless, we have work to do, because we do not reach food security level in vegetables, berries, cereal. That is why we need land to be circulating.
- But judging by adoption of the law for their purposes, there is plenty such land.
- Of course, pretty much, we have a boundless country. When travelling in the Chelyabinsk Oblast, you see cultivated and planted lands to the right, and you see just as many fields standing idle, purchased by someone sometime, that is how some capital is preserved in such a way. That is why the land needs to be useful, it needs to be cultivated by people living there. That is why I think that procedures need to be harsher.
- Let us discuss the anti-crisis plan in agriculture, issues related to import substitution. Do you think the mechanisms proposed by the government to support agriculture in our complicated economic times, to increase productivity, boost the efficiency of agriculture are enough?
- The anti-crisis program for agriculture is probably the only one sequestered and the level of food security is strategically important for the country, and plenty of funds have been invested in it. And there are dynamics, in other words, we are still gradually moving, our food imports dropped by 6 billion last year. But those are still insignificant figures compared to what is left to do. And here, the process would probably intensify if the interest rates were lower. Clearly, agriculture and probably industry in general needs, first of all, long term loans at a rate of 5-7%. Give business such an opportunity, as well as in agriculture, you will not recognize the country in a few years, I believe. Well, 5-7% is probably a dream. Of course, if we are interested in raising. Import substitution is not just cheese or something else. It is the equipment needed in the food industry. We are talking about the lack of food engineering. It is foreign machines exclusively. This needs to be done.
Another crucial matter is the problem of staff. We can speak about import substitution, but is there are no people who could work at factories, there will be no positive results. There is a lack of professionals in villages. Therefore, the programs which are being implemented are directed as construction of infrastructure – kindergartens, schools, first of all, accommodation.
…And remember the Soviet era. My aunt lived in a village, and they lived very well, they worked hard. There was huge private farming. But they went to the city market every Saturday to sell these products. And for the majority of urban residents, a car was a dream, for the villagers it was a reality. And today, when they are facing a situation when they cannot sell products at the normal price, most of them have simply abandoned private farming. In general, we have almost lost this form of agricultural production.
- It almost looks like the same small business.
- Of course. And we lost it. And now, to buy fresh milk you must find who sells it in the village. And usually there will be 1 or 2 people to whom people go.
Today it is necessary to create conditions for the development of agricultural cooperation. So that private farms have the opportunity to sell their products. When people actually see the real opportunity, perhaps we will return to individual farms. Today mostly milk is made from powder. We are not telling that to people, and we feed it to children. And most of the formulas we have are imported, not ours. This is also a problem. Therefore, here, of course, agricultural production is still directly linked to trade.
Today's laws, amendments to the law on trade, they are connected to the change of approaches and activities of trade networks, which are operating only in their own interests, not in the interests of the producer. Today, those amendments which were already adopted in the first reading. They offer to shorten and reduce the allowance of trading networks for this product. So, of course, elements of state regulation have already appeared. And this is right, because otherwise we will not support those who work on the ground.
- We have raised the issue of social development of villages. In particular, we talked about accomodation, about some factors that have contributed to the return of young people to villages, to the land. What other issues of the countryside in terms of social development would you note as complex ones?
- It is, of course, for the whole countryside - gasification issues and road issues, I guess. These are the major ones. And of course, in recent years, under the national project, many things were done. The majority of rural areas are already linked by roads. In different capacities, but they are there. While there are, of course, areas where children are transported to one bridge, they are transported there, and another car is waiting, and then they are driven to school.
And the second thing is, of course, gas, because gas is like some kind of benefit for the villagers, which is freeing them from firewood, simplifying their lifes. Of course, most of the villagers, when they meet with the authorities, are raising these issues - gas and roads.
To be continued
