America News Agency

Speaking on Tuesday at the Ministry of Agriculture, Patrushev said: "We need to expand the production base of crop cultivation, and this primarily means arable land. Since the start of the implementation of the 'Land' program, about 2 million hectares (20,000 square kilometers) of agricultural land have been brought into circulation. By the end of 2025, we must approach the figure of 3 million hectares."

The Deputy Prime Minister added: "I ask you to maintain your pace and also improve the efficiency of using our land, including through the competent use of fertilizers and plant protection products, the introduction of digital tools, and the upgrading of agricultural machinery."

Patrushev also spoke about the need to encourage farmers to switch to domestic plant varieties. He noted that the share of domestic seeds rose to 67.7% last year but has not yet reached the food security doctrine target (75%). "I ask you to continue developing this potential. The state has provided the necessary tools for this," he said.

The "Land" program has been in effect in the Russian Federation since 2022. It envisions putting at least 13 million hectares (130,000 square kilometers) into circulation within 10 years.

The area of unused agricultural land in the Russian Federation is estimated at around 440,000 square kilometers, of which 200,000 square kilometers are arable. In 2024, the area of agricultural land was 2.44 million square kilometers.