Stavropol Krai is coping with the drought: the grain harvest is approaching, government support for farmers has been increased.

The meeting of the operational headquarters, dedicated to preparing for the harvest season, took place in the presence of the chairman of the regional Duma Nikolay Velikdanya, governor Vladimir Vladimirov, and other regional deputies. A team of experts and politicians set out to inspect agricultural areas, including the interesting plots of the North Caucasus Federal Scientific Agrarian Center, where experimental wheat varieties capable of surviving drought conditions are presented. Each year, the center sends 12 new varieties of grain crops for state trials. During the discussion, it was noted that currently, Stavropol is provided with seeds for up to 20% for wheat and up to 75% for barley, and these figures are constantly increasing.

The deputies also visited the "Dubovsky" collective farm in Shpakovsky district, where they assessed the winter grain crops. Despite the dry soil caused by drought in March and April, the harvest is ready for harvesting 10-14 days earlier than usual. In Trunovsky district, parliamentarians checked the condition of the winter grain crops in the fields of the "Imeni Kirova" state farm and found that their condition is satisfactory, with pests posing no threat.

"It's not an easy year for farmers. According to experts, due to the drought, the grain harvest may decrease by 17% compared to last year. However, Stavropol Krai will not be left without an adequate amount of bread and grain, as its production will be sufficient for both its own needs and for the export of several million tons," commented Nikolay Velikdanya on the inspection results.

Present at the meeting were representatives of ministries, heads of agricultural areas and agricultural enterprises, including peasant and farm holdings. The chairman of the regional Duma, Nikolay Velikdanya, emphasized the importance of preserving the already formed harvest, harvesting it, and distributing it evenly. Special attention will be paid to preventing the negative impact of drought to ensure future harvests. Next year, the regional budget provides for allocating at least 40 million rubles for measures to artificially induce precipitation in spring.

The discussion also touched upon the issue of fuel prices. The head of the Ministry of Construction, Sergey Izmalkov, proposed to the chairman of the regional Duma to provide financial support to farmers to compensate for additional expenses related to the increase in fuel prices. It was also proposed to make adjustments to the rules for declaring emergencies in case of bad weather.

"Federal legislation in the field of seed production requires changes that will help domestic breeders and seed producers. Currently, there are mandatory requirements that only complicate the work. For example, it is necessary to determine the presence of GMOs in seeds for sowing. At the same time, the sowing of genetically modified seeds on the territory of Russia is prohibited. The costs of such a procedure strongly influence the final cost of seeds. According to the regional deputies, conducting such checks is impractical," commented Nikolay Velikdanya.

In 2024, 3 million hectares were allocated for the cultivation of agricultural crops, of which 2.4 million hectares are allocated for grain crops. The final harvest will depend on weather conditions. Around 64 thousand units of machinery will be involved in harvesting, including 7 thousand combines and 12 thousand tractors.

In the Stavropol Duma, it was reported that since the beginning of the year, the region's farmers have already received over 2.1 billion rubles in government support, which accounts for about 40% of the planned amount for the current year.