Oksana Lut has been appointed as the head of the Ministry of Agriculture: plans for the development of agriculture and combating the consequences of drought.

At the last meeting of the State Duma, Oksana Lut was appointed as the head of the Ministry of Agriculture. During the discussion of her candidacy, the Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Issues, Vladimir Kashin, noted that Lut is an experienced and competent specialist who has been working in the field of agriculture for many years.

He pointed out that she was the one who developed a comprehensive program for the development of rural areas. Lut's candidacy for the position of Minister of Agriculture was proposed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on May 11.

In her speech in the State Duma, Lut noted that an increase in production in agriculture, the fishing industry, and the processing industry is expected in 2024. In recent years, agriculture has achieved significant results: high yields and volumes of livestock products have been obtained, which allow to meet the country's needs.

She also noted the systematic increase in self-sufficiency and the implementation of indicators of the food security doctrine.

 

Oksana Lut was born on February 25, 1979, in Moscow. In 2001, she graduated from the Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation. From 1999 to 2000, she held various positions in banking organizations.

From 2000 to 2003, she worked as an economist in a bank, where she was involved in the development of credit products and credit business management.

From 2003 to 2010, Lut held management positions in another bank.

In 2010, she became the head of the department at Rostec State Corporation.

From 2010 to 2018, Lut worked as a director at Rosselkhozbank JSC.

In 2018, she joined the Ministry of Agriculture as a deputy minister. In 2021, she became the first deputy minister of agriculture.

In her speech, Lut also reported that due to frosts this year, some regions had to replant agricultural crops on an area of 500,000 hectares. She emphasized that there are enough seeds for replanting. In case of insufficient funding for crop restoration, the ministry is ready to seek additional funds.

Furthermore, Lut highlighted the threat of drought in the southern regions of the country, which adds complexity. She assured that the Ministry will carefully monitor the actions of insurance companies and ensure that all affected agricultural producers receive compensation for damages.

Lut also announced that the Ministry of Agriculture plans to focus on supporting domestic breeding and seed production by redirecting state support to developments in this sector. She noted an improvement in working conditions and an increase in wages in the agro-industrial complex. She also proposed measures to support employment and compensate for training and internships expenses.

Additionally, Lut mentioned the possibility of restricting the import of flowers from unfriendly countries. Currently, the duty on the import of flowers from such countries is 5%, but not less than 0.3 euros per kilogram. One of the deputies of the State Duma's committee on agricultural issues proposed to create a working group to develop measures to support domestic floriculturists and restrict flower imports, as the share of imported flowers in the Russian market is 82%.