Russia ready to help poor countries fight hunger – Putin – RT Business News

Russia is eager to help overcome the global food crisis, President Vladimir Putin said in a video message posted on the Kremlin’s website on Sunday.

« We fully supply the domestic market with basic products that people need, we successfully solve food security problems and, moreover, we increase export opportunities. We are ready to make our own contribution to overcoming global food problems and providing the necessary assistance to the poorest developing countries“, said the president.

Putin noted that the agricultural industry is one of the key sectors of the Russian economy, which « year after year demonstrates convincing and worthy results.” He added that this year’s grain harvest is expected to break records at around 150 million tonnes, including 100 million tonnes of wheat.

The president also said that due to the unprecedented sanctions imposed on the country, agricultural producers are facing new challenges, but these problems will be overcome once Russia achieves technological sovereignty in the agricultural sector.

« Working under conditions of unprecedented sanctions pressure poses new challenges to the agro-industrial complex. We will solve them together, with state support, and use the restrictions for our own development. We need to increase the level of technological sovereignty… which means building our capacity in breeding, genetics, seed production; stimulate the transition to modern household equipment and machinery; create the conditions for a new influx of investments, » he stated.

Putin has repeatedly accused Western countries of seizing grain exported from Ukraine under a deal struck earlier this year, instead of allowing it to be delivered to developing countries. Late last month, he warned that the situation could trigger a global food crisis, pointing out that of the 203 ships that had left Ukrainian ports by September 23, only four were heading for the poorest countries.

Russia is ready to increase its grain exports up to 30 million tons in the second half of 2022, according to Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, who is “the volume that we promised as part of our agreements with the UN to solve the problem of hunger in the world.To do this, however, Moscow needs UN help in lifting Western restrictions which, while not directly targeting Russian grain exports, are causing problems for Russian shipments.

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