Ilshat Fazrakhmanov: “Grants for Farmers are Non-Repayable, Just Take the Money and Get Down to Work”

 

An exclusive interview with Ilshat Fazrakhmanov, Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Bashkortostan for FAO’s Moscow Office 

- Mr. Fazrakhmanov, to what extent have anti-Russian sanctions affected the agrifood sector of the Republic?

-  Globalization is still with us. It is impossible to isolate everything. We are importing turkey hatching eggs from Canada just as we did before. Since the beginning of the special operation (SMO) we’ve received four foreign trucks – with Polish numbers. And the Americans supply everything without exception, no problem at all.  

-  But the amounts supplied are hardly the same as before…

- Bashkortostan has both an industrial and an agricultural sector. Now we’ve put into operation all of our machinery, we are making spare parts and additives. We also have the Institute of petroleum refining and petrochemistry with the capacity to analyse any substance, just give them a sample. Our Republic can easily provide a full range of plastics, metal and glass products. In addition, we have purchased plenty of tractors and combines. Last year only we bought farming equipment worth twelve billion rubles. And we established knock-down assembly plants. We have enough of everything for the next five years. 

- How would you describe the impact of the current encumbrances on exports and imports?

- The export of grains, sugar, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil and flax-seed oil has been prohibited. By the way, over the past years we’ve focused on flax – this is a top-selling item in Belgium. We sell a lot of sunflower oil and rapeseed oil to Germany and Turkey. 

- Are there any logistical problems?

- We supply oils in tanks. When the special operation began, our Chishminsky OEP (oil extraction plant) alone had almost 500 cars in Europe, they were blocked, but we managed to get them back. And at some point they would cut our trucks’ tyres on borders. But we pursue a multi-vector export and import policy. As for the “borsch basket”, and these are seasonable products, they come from Tajikistan. Uzbekistan provides us with fresh and dried fruit, which is much better than that from Poland, in my view. 

- What about seed stock? Beet seeds, in particular? The FCS statistics show that in 2021 Russia imported sugar beet seeds worth USD 106.5 million. And European countries were major suppliers…

- Seed procurement from foreign manufacturers is justified in terms of competitivity, apart from other reasons. For example, KWS (a leading plant‑selection company, one of the world’s top five seed suppliers – ed.) created hybrid sugar beet varieties that are resistant to the Conviso herbicide. This is not some medium market segment, but a first-class product. All you need to do is to sow seeds once and treat them with chemicals. No more efforts. But this hybrid variety costs fifteen thousand rubles per hectare. Whereas ordinary seeds cost three to four thousand rubles. See the difference? We stick to the “golden mean”. We make products that withstand global competition. If we move one step up in this technological hierarchy, the cost of goods will increase. 

I met with beet growers for consultation. We have all we need for the next year. Even 70% subsidies to purchase seeds from Schelkovo (the Schelkovo Agrokhim company offers seeds of new Russian hybrid sugar beet varieties – ed.) – one truckload will be enough for the entire Republic. Moreover, our farmers have registered their companies in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and elsewhere. When compared with the 1990s, at the time we didn’t have any governance model to follow, we simply didn’t know what to do, but today we do know and we have more room for maneuver.  

- Let’s move to other subjects. How real and serious is the epizootic threat in the Republic?

- It is more than real. And here’s what looks troubling. Avian flu was detected in the Blagovarskyfarm – the one-of-a-kind Russian poultry breeding farm here, in Bashkortostan (selection and genetics centre for waterfowl breeding – ed.). Last year we had to cull 110 thousand ducks. It was our own breed, a Russian-Bashkir one. We had to destroy everything. Where did flu come from? Then, unexpectedly, the African swine fever emerged – and precisely at the Roschinsky pig farms (GUSP Sovkhoz Roschinsky is a major vertically integrated agricultural enterprise in the Republic of Bashkortostan – ed.). And once more the outbreak affected precisely the farms with the highest concentration of livestock. That is why now we are treating biosafety issues with utmost care. 

- There were reports that Bashkortostan was actively engaged in selection and genetics…

- In agribusiness the development of genetics is gaining special relevance. We are opening a Bovine Genetics and Embryology Centre based on the Bashkir State Agrarian University. We’ve already selected four Holstein heifers. They will be inseminated, they will calve and later they will be cloned. This genetic line is unique, the cows produce at least 60 litres of milk per day…  

- We haven’t exhausted the list of technological innovations in agro-industry, have we? 

- No, we haven’t. At the Belebeyevsky dairy plant we launched one of the best filtration systems using biofuel. The monotown fund financed the construction of the system. Now nothing leaves the plant. All the bioproducts and methane are collected into special reservoirs. Kamaz has made a methane-based power generator for us. It generates electricity that energizes the dairy plant. 

- Judging by press reports, as a minister, you have extensive direct exchanges with agricultural producers… 

- Since 1 January I’ve had over 50 meetings with farmers. I always have some initiatives to offer them. Recently we’ve held a SMART Gardener forum which brought together more than 600 people, including chairs of SNTs (gardeners’ non-commercial partnerships). This is what true civil society is about. I allocate 1.5 million rubles of grants to novice farmers annually. Those grants are non‑repayable, just take the money and get down to work. 

- A couple of words for our readers in conclusion?

- There is a lot to see in the agricultural sector of Bashkortostan – state‑of‑the‑art production technology, useful experience that can be emulated, engaging people that are passionate about their work, beautiful nature with which we’ve been trying to live in harmony for many centuries. We are open for cooperation. Once the sowing campaign here is over, come and see everything for yourself, bring in your practices and proposals! You are welcome! – Rakhim itegez!

* * *

Background: 

Ilshat Fazrakhmanov is a man of his word and a man of action 

Ilshat Fazrakhmanov was born on 8 August 1977 in the village of Truntaishevo of the Alsheevsky district. He graduated from the Bashkir State Agrarian University, majoring in veterinary sciences and accounting and control. He has a degree of candidate of economic sciences. 

In 1999 he started working for the OJSC “Rayevsky sakharny zavod” as Deputy Chief Accountant and Deputy Director‑General in charge of Manufacturing.

In 2002–2003 he was head of several agricultural enterprises in the Republic.

In 2003–2015 – a high-ranking official in the Presidential Administration and in the Executive Office of the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

In 2015–2016 – head of local administration at the Davlekanovsky district.

In 2016–2017 – Minister of agriculture of the Republic of Bashkortostan, and since October 2019 – Deputy Prime-Minister at the Government of RB – Minister of Agriculture of RB.