"Russia is a reliable trading partner, and we always fulfill our obligations"
Despite the bad weather conditions, Russian farmers have reaped a significant harvest, setting new records for some crops. Although world grain prices are falling, grain exports are projected to reach 53-55 million tons by the end of the current agricultural season. This was stated by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev in an exclusive interview with Izvestia. He also explained why food prices will not be fixed in the Russian Federation and why the authorities want to increase responsibility for players in the municipal solid waste market.
"Russian grain remains one of the most sought-after goods"
— How do you assess the results of the harvesting campaign: to what extent have the harvest forecasts come true and what else needs to be done? It is known, for example, that buckwheat production has decreased by more than a third. What is the reason and how to compensate for the shortcomings?
— This year, Russian farmers have once again given us a reason to be proud. Even in spite of all the weather disasters that we have encountered. In a number of regions, there were recurrent frosts, drought, heavy rains and early snow. Nevertheless, this year's grain harvest is expected to reach 137 million tons in net weight, and it is one of the most significant in recent history. If it hadn't been for such difficult weather, the harvest would have been several million tons more.
You asked about buckwheat: in 2025, its volume is projected to reach 1 million tons, which will completely cover the needs of processing facilities for raw materials and provide our domestic market.
We expect that after the results are summarized by Rosstat, records for harvesting legumes, fruits and berries, rapeseed and soybeans will be confirmed. By the way, if you recall, the soybean harvest in 2017 was 3.6 million tons, and it was produced mainly in the Far East. In the following years, we worked to increase the volume of this crop. This year, the soybean harvest will already exceed 8.5 million tons, and the geography of the regions where it is grown has significantly expanded over the past time.
Of course, all this is a joint result of the work of the industry and the state. Together we are creating a strong government support system so that the tools are really in demand and targeted.
Also, to ensure balanced harvests, the implementation of the structure of acreage is being monitored, the introduction of modern technologies is being stimulated, and the domestic scientific base is being strengthened.
But we still have a lot to do. In particular, we are making efforts to ensure that the level of influence of weather factors on crop production results is less significant. As I said, during this season alone, farmers have faced almost the entire spectrum of adverse weather events. We cannot influence this. However, the arsenal of technological capabilities to respond to such challenges must expand every year, adding sustainability to agriculture.
— At a meeting with the president in early October, you reported that Russia is reducing grain exports in the 2025/26 agricultural year due to record low world prices. How much will the indicator decrease and how could this affect the sector? When, in your opinion, will the situation change?
— Russian grain remains one of the most sought-after commodities on the global stage. In the agricultural season 2023/24, record volumes of more than 70 million tons were sent to foreign partners. Today we are really in a phase of lower global prices. This was reflected in the export figures. However, since August, the dynamics has been gradually leveling off.
Grain exports for the current agricultural season are projected at 53-55 million tons, which corresponds to the average values for five years. Russia is a reliable trading partner, and we always fulfill our obligations. Moreover, there is an understanding that if the price environment changes, our supply volumes will increase.
"In 2025, we should approach 70% import substitution of seeds"
— How successful is the process of import substitution of seeds? For which crops are we still dependent on foreign producers?
— I would like to remind you that the indicator of self-sufficiency in seeds in the food security doctrine first appeared only in 2020. And it is set at 75%. For your understanding, just three years ago we were barely reaching 60%, and in 2025 we should already be approaching 70%. The pace is very good for breeding and seed production.
But this is an average value that varies depending on a particular culture. For example, we had our own winter wheat seeds before, and they were very decent. But historically there were no sugar beet seeds, farmers used products of foreign breeding. Here we had to start almost from zero. However, according to the forecast, after summing up the results of 2025, the market can already be provided with about 20% of its seeds of this crop. There were similar difficulties with sunflower seeds, but there is also a good increase here. It is clear that there is still a long way to go before full self-sufficiency. Nevertheless, a positive trend has emerged.
This happened as a result of the systemic steps that have been taken in the last few years, which, unfortunately, have not been done for decades. First of all, a wide range of support tools has appeared, which stimulates both research activities and the replication of the received products. In addition, we are trying to "make friends" with agricultural business and science in a qualitative way, so that combining their efforts produces results that are not just for show, but become really useful for the real sector. In 2022, the transfer of several research institutes, which are also engaged in breeding, to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, played a major role.
We must protect the interests of domestic breeders and promote their products. Therefore, reasonable restrictions on the import of foreign seeds were introduced. At the stage of their introduction, skeptics and lobbyists of foreign companies were as much afraid as possible: we will remain without seeds, there will be no harvests — there were so many different criticisms! However, I have given you the figures, they will confirm more clearly than any reasoning that we are moving upward towards self-sufficiency. And we will continue to adhere to the chosen approaches.
— Vladimir Putin has set a task for the agro-industrial complex: by 2030, to increase the volume of production of the agro-industrial complex by at least 25% compared with 2021. How feasible is this, given the sanctions and current economic conditions? In which segments of the agro-industrial complex is it easier to implement?
— Indeed, we will have to increase the production of agricultural products by a quarter by 2030. For example, the grain harvest by this point should reach 170 million tons. You know that Russia still holds a leading position in the world in terms of its fees. For the past seven years, our grain volumes have consistently exceeded 120 million tons. The historical maximum was in 2022 — about 158 million tons. This year, the harvest results are excellent again. Nevertheless, there is still a very significant increase to be achieved in the coming years. In addition, it is necessary to increase the production of raw milk by more than four million tons from the current values.
This cannot be achieved simply by scaling. That is, we cannot just start sowing more grain, expanding and expanding the area under them. Just as it will not be possible to indefinitely increase the number of dairy cattle. It doesn't work that way.
The key to success lies in the introduction of technologies that increase the efficiency of processes. The government has been allocating significant amounts of funding to support and develop the agro—industrial complex - more than half a trillion rubles for several years now. This is the basis for achieving new goals. It is necessary to continue to update the equipment, apply modern means of chemicalization, and replace various foreign solutions with domestic ones developed specifically for the needs of the Russian agro-industrial complex. Science must be included. And, as I said, we should strive to ensure that unfavorable weather does not pose a significant risk to agricultural production. A lot has already been done in recent years. For example, I said that we systematically build a dialogue between industry business and science.
Government support tools are available for the implementation of modern solutions, and this has significantly increased labor productivity. In order to reach new landmarks, we continue to strengthen the foundation. A number of critically important areas are included in the national project "Technological provision of food security", which appeared in 2025. These include the development of breeding, genetics and biotechnologies, the production of agricultural machinery and equipment, and an increase in the market share of Russian veterinary medicines. And, of course, breakthrough results are impossible without strong personnel. Therefore, the national project includes a separate area for high—quality training of specialists - from school to employment in industry enterprises.
"More than 70 regions have signed agreements with retail chains on price stabilization"
— The state declares its support for Russian winemaking, while excise taxes are increased annually not only for imported, but also for domestic wines. How sensitive is this for Russian enterprises? Are there any plans to make additional financial preferences for them?
— In 2020, the law "On Viticulture and Winemaking" was adopted, which became the starting point of a new stage in the development of this industry. On the scale of history, five years is not that long. In winemaking, traditions are generally formed over generations. Nevertheless, in our country, in such a short period of time, this area has managed to make a real breakthrough. Clear rules of winemaking have been formed that meet international standards. Production is growing. And most importantly, we have received a product that citizens are ready to choose.
Our wine imports have significantly decreased, and the share of Russian products in the consumption structure is growing. To support viticulture and winemaking, there is a whole set of measures with a solid amount of funding: in 2025 — about 4 billion rubles, a comparable amount is expected next year.
The increase in excise taxes on wine is precisely a tool to protect the interests of our producer. Indeed, with respect to domestic products made from our grapes, there remains the possibility of a significant tax deduction. Thus, the fiscal burden for Russian still wines is calculated using the formula "one ruble per liter". The State's position is that this approach should be maintained. This is a very worthy preference.
— You are responsible for the rural development program, which has been in operation for several years. The government is investing money in the program, but Russians, judging by opinion polls, still prefer to live in big cities. How can we change this trend and what results have been achieved by this time?
— Whether a person lives in the city or in the countryside is his own choice, which is based on a whole set of factors. There are examples when people move out of the city to work in agriculture, because today the agro—industrial complex is an industry with great opportunities for development. But in order for the rural population to live more comfortably, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions.
You mentioned the state program for rural development. I believe that over the past few years it has become the most effective in terms of comprehensive coverage of events that change the quality of life of people in rural areas.
Schools, kindergartens, medical, sports and cultural institutions are being built there, millions of square meters of housing are being built, roads are being renovated and transport links are improving, and Internet access is expanding. What is very important: new facilities are also new jobs. Taking into account 2025, 185 thousand of them will appear.
In other words, an environment is being formed in rural areas, which, in terms of accessibility of infrastructure and social services, is becoming closer to urban ones. This helps to preserve the rural way of life.
I would like to add that since 2020, 17 million people have been affected by the activities of the state program in one way or another. At the same time, starting this year, it covers not only rural areas, but also small towns. Together, this is almost 35% of the population of our country. So we hope that there will be more positive changes.
— Do you support the introduction of fixed prices for certain types of goods, as well as the conclusion of long-term contracts with suppliers of products to fix prices? What other tools to curb food prices do you consider effective?
— Price fixing cannot be called a mechanism of market regulation. Especially when it comes to an entire product line. This can generally lead to the opposite effect, up to and including a reduction in production. And this, in turn, will lead to the absence of goods on store shelves.
There are more understandable tools. For example, more than 70 regions have signed agreements with retail chains to stabilize prices for various types of socially important products, including eggs, meat, butter, and vegetables.
Another effective measure may be long-term contracts between the supplier and the seller at a fixed value for the entire duration of their validity. This approach minimizes the risks of strong price fluctuations, both for suppliers and for networks. Farmers receive the opportunity of guaranteed paid sales for a long period of time, and retail outlets receive the required volume of goods at a predetermined cost. In addition, preferential imports can be considered one of the justified measures to curb price spikes. The main thing is to make timely decisions on its application.
As an example: in 2023, our farmers harvested a record potato harvest in 30 years — 8.6 million tons. Naturally, in the presence of such an offer, prices for it fell, and fell significantly. Manufacturers were working at the limit of profitability. A year later, the potato harvest amounted to 7.3 million tons. The market started to recoup prices.
To curb their impulsive growth, potato supplies from friendly countries were opened. The additional volume of goods on the counter stabilized the cost. And then a new crop of domestic potatoes arrived.
I would like to add that in 2025, the harvest of this crop is much higher than last year.
Therefore, I hope that the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, taking into account the experience of previous years, will be able to keep the potato price situation under control in the medium term.
"Ecology is not an area where you need to focus solely on achieving quick results"
— One of Russia's treasures is Lake Baikal, which provides 19% of the world's freshwater reserves. How is the work being done now to preserve the ecosystem of the lake and at the same time develop the territory around it?
— Lake Baikal is one of the most picturesque and amazing places on the planet.
Our duty is to ensure the safety of its unique ecosystem. But we must not forget that people live in the Baikal territory — almost 140 thousand people. Therefore, it needs to be developed, providing decent conditions for the population. No one disputes that the impact on the Baikal ecosystem should be as careful and thoughtful as possible. Therefore, when implementing any project, optimal solutions are required that will preserve nature and take into account the interests of citizens.
In December 2025, the president signed a law that is designed to ensure such a balance. Conditions are being created for controlled, environmentally friendly infrastructure development. The law was worked out very carefully, with the involvement of science and the expert community. Each decision on a specific object in the Baikal natural Area will be made individually through a special system of approvals.
First of all, the positive conclusion of Rosprirodnadzor will be primary. Secondly, a special commission should give approval, which will include representatives of the presidential administration, the Russian government, the Federal Assembly, the FSB and the heads of the Baikal regions. In some cases, the consent of the Russian Academy of Sciences will be required. Thus, all decisions will be extremely precise.
— In Russia, by 2030, it is planned to allocate 800 billion rubles for the national project "Environmental well-being", which started at the beginning of this year. What has already been done?
— Ecology is not an area where you need to focus solely on achieving quick results. The effect of the events should be not only for today, but also for future generations. The national project "Environmental well-being" includes six areas. These include the improvement of water bodies, the restoration of forests, the reduction of dangerous emissions into the atmosphere, the elimination of accumulated environmental damage, the formation of a closed-loop economy, as well as the conservation of biodiversity and the development of eco-tourism.
I will focus on several key areas. For example, ecological improvement of water resources. The work was carried out in the previous national project, but covered only the Volga and Lake Baikal. And now the geography has been seriously expanded. The events will affect many major rivers in Russia.
So, dams, reservoirs and other structures will be built to improve water supply. New sewage treatment plants will also be built. In particular, they are already planned on the Ural, Tobol, Kama and Angara rivers.
Let me remind you that difficulties arose with the construction of sewage treatment plants during the previous national project: they either were not put in place on time or did not properly perform the function of wastewater treatment. This is the second year we have been dealing with this separately at the government headquarters site. We have reviewed approaches to the organization of work globally, updated the regulatory framework, and formed an on-site working group that evaluates the situation on the ground. And, most importantly, the rules were changed in such a way that the structures are considered commissioned not when construction is completed, but only when Rosprirodnadzor has confirmed that the cleaning standards are indeed being met. These methods will certainly extend to a new stage of work.
Another area is related to the conservation of forests. Russia accounts for a fifth of their global reserves. Since 2021, we have maintained the trend that, for various reasons, fewer forests are being disposed of than are being restored. We are working to maintain this dynamic through a range of measures.
The Clean Air Project coordinates measures to reduce air emissions in cities with high levels of pollution. The last national project included 12 participants, including such industrial centers as Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Magnitogorsk, Omsk and Norilsk. The events continue there. But 29 more cities have been added. For example, Barnaul, Irkutsk, Kemerovo and Kurgan.
Of course, the accumulated experience will be taken into account. At the same time, the work on reducing emissions will be linked to the prospects for the development of the energy infrastructure of the participating cities.
And, probably, I will tell you about another federal project related to the conservation of biodiversity, in conjunction with which the development of ecological tourism is envisaged. This is a fairly young direction for our country, but it is actively gaining momentum. In the first 11 months of 2025, 21.6 million people visited federal specially protected natural areas. This is 4 million more than in the whole of last year.
We predict that the popularity of this type of recreation will grow. Our task is to provide the appropriate infrastructure. Plans for the future are currently being formed. I invite everyone to travel through national parks — this will allow you to see the incredible natural resources of Russia.
"It is necessary to increase the responsibility of MSW market players and create a base for better work"
— The garbage reform in Russia began in 2019, but illegal and spontaneous landfills continue to exist. How do you assess the situation?
— The question has always been and will always be sensitive, because it concerns absolutely everyone. After all, the reform of waste management begins with a clean container site at our homes. Realizing this, we build work along the entire chain. So, in case of failures, it is possible to see exactly where they occurred. For this purpose, for example, container sites are equipped with photo and video recording equipment. You can track what time the special equipment arrived and whether it took away the entire volume of garbage. Further, the movement of waste to the landfill is controlled through a satellite navigation system. These preventive measures have already eliminated many shortcomings on the ground. There is also an information system for MSW traceability, which increases the transparency of processes at each stage of waste movement.
In addition, we are working with the State Duma and the Federation Council to improve the legislative framework. After all, on the one hand, it is necessary to increase the responsibility of market players, on the other — to create a basis for better work of all sides of this process.
And since 2024, at the site of a separate government headquarters, together with the heads of regions, we have been developing solutions to eliminate problems in the field of waste management. After all, there is a shortage of containers in some regions. Others are not doing well with the activities of regional operators. Special equipment also needs to be updated. For this purpose, by the way, in 2025 there was a possibility of preferential leasing. According to the plans, the mechanism will allow the regions to purchase about a thousand new cars this year.
At the same time, new capacities are needed to fulfill the tasks set by the president to form a closed-loop economy. The Government offers special financial and non-financial instruments to support the implementation of such projects. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Russian Environmental Operator are forming construction plans until 2030, based on the needs of the subjects in the industry infrastructure. We expect that in the coming years the pace of its renewal throughout Russia will increase.
— A question about the Krasny Bor training ground in the Leningrad region. In 2022, the authorities announced that it would be eliminated by 2025, but this has not yet been done. What is the reason?
— No, the elimination of pollution at this location has not really been completed. I won't embellish it — there's still a lot of work ahead. Perhaps not all of your readers are aware: Krasny Bor is not a spontaneous garbage dump. This is a landfill with an area of several tens of hectares, where toxic industrial waste with a complex chemical composition has been transported from all over the Soviet Union since the 1960s. Just think about it: there are more than 1.5 million tons of them there!
The project is very necessary, but very time-consuming. We need special technologies, infrastructure, and specialists with specific competencies. At the same time, such a large-scale liquidation is being conducted in Russia for the first time. Therefore, there are inevitably points that require additional study and study. Obviously, such a volume cannot be completed in a short period of time.
Krasny Bor hazardous waste landfill in the Leningrad region
But the work goes on without stopping. The contamination is isolated by a special protective curtain and does not spread. That's the main thing.
I was at the training ground, and literally in December, I saw how the events were being implemented. They will undoubtedly be completed within the framework of the current national project.
"Motivation to work hard every day"
— Everyone is already starting to prepare for the New Year. What do you have traditionally on the festive table? What dishes and products will be required? And as the Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the environment, which Christmas tree do you choose — live or artificial?
— New Year's Eve is a cozy family holiday for me. Winter holidays give us all the opportunity to relax a little, spend time with loved ones, take stock of the year and think about new plans.
We celebrate the holiday outside the city with family and friends. There is a large spruce tree in the yard. We always decorate it.
There are usually traditional Russian dishes on the table. I won't surprise you here. But in addition to the classic New Year's salads and hot dishes, we always have fish in a different form every year.
— Well, the traditional question at the end of the year. What do you consider to be the main achievement of 2025 and what are your plans for 2026? Both work and personal.
— Today, our country has come together for a great common result and a prosperous future. This is the motivation to work hard every day.
Environmental protection and the level of agricultural development directly affect what people associate with the concept of quality of life: fresh food on store shelves, clean air and water, no garbage and well-tended forests. There is always room for improvement and increased process efficiency in these areas. And in 2026, we will continue to move towards the targets set by the President of our country.
I sincerely congratulate our compatriots on the upcoming New Year. I wish you more joyful moments, success, health, well-being, family comfort and warmth!
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