An increase in production is observed in the livestock sector. According to territorial authority Federal Service state statistics in the Republic of Mari El, the production of livestock and poultry for slaughter in live weight in the farms of all agricultural producers in 2014 amounted to 226.8 thousand tons (139.2 percent compared to 2013).

Milk production in 2014 increased by 0.5 percent compared to 2013 and amounted to 195.2 thousand tons.

The number of cattle in farms of all categories at the end of December 2014 amounted to 86.1 thousand heads (93.7 percent compared to 2013), including cows - 36.1 thousand heads (94%), pigs - 229 .2 thousand heads (99%), sheep and goats - 49.2 thousand heads (92.3%), birds - 11105 thousand heads (2 times).

In the state pedigree register of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, 25 organizations for pedigree animal husbandry of the Republic of Mari El are registered. Specific gravity pedigree cattle in the total livestock of the republic amounted to 15.5 percent, cows - 52.1 percent.

In 2014, in agricultural organizations, compared to 2013, the average milk yield per cow increased by 283 kg and amounted to 5097 kg.

The average daily weight gain of cattle was 594 g (+44 grams), pigs - 667 g (+12 grams). The output of calves per 100 cows in the republic remained at the level of 2013 and amounted to 84 heads.

Agricultural organizations sold to the population of the republic for the development of personal subsidiary plots of citizens 5413 heads of cattle, 1064 heads of pigs, 349 heads of sheep, 810 thousand heads of poultry.

Relief. The Republic of Mari El is located in the east of the East European Plain. The western part of the left bank of the Volga is occupied by a swampy lowland. The eastern part of the territory is located within a hill (height up to 275 m), karst landforms are found here, the surface is dissected by river valleys and ravines. On the right bank of the Volga, there is only 1 district of the republic - Gornomariysky, which occupies the northern outskirts of the hill.

Hydrography. surface waters. Under water ≈ 3.6% of the area, 1.4% is occupied by swamps. The following rivers flow through the territory: Volga, Vetluga, Ilet, Yushut, Bolshoi Kundysh, Bolshaya Kokshaga, Lazh, M. Sundyr, B. Sundyrka, B. Kokshaga, B. Kundysh, Rutka, Ilet, Ronga, Turechka, Serdyazhka, Paranginka, Nemda , Need. On the territory there are lakes Karas, Ship, in the valleys there are many forest lakes. The Cheboksary and Kuibyshev reservoirs are located on the Volga within the republic.

The groundwater. The territory is located within the East European artesian region. The large thickness of sedimentary deposits and the different lithological composition of water-bearing rocks determined a wide variety of hydrochemical types of groundwater, among which fresh, mineral waters and brines are distinguished. The Republic has significant resources of groundwater of drinking quality, the reserves of which are estimated at 3.2 million m 3 /day. The brines are distributed almost everywhere below the Sakmara stage of the Lower Permian, however, the explored deposits of industrial mineral waters no.

Vegetation. The territory is located in the subtaiga zone. Forests occupy ≈ 58.2% of the area.

Soils. Distributed by area shares: sod-podzolic illuvial-ferruginous - 41.7%, sod-podzolic predominantly shallow and shallow podzolic - 19.9%, floodplain slightly acidic and neutral - 12%, light gray forest - 9.9%, peat swamp lowlands - 4.9%, non-soil formations (water) - 4.7%, gray forest - 3.4%, gley peaty and peaty podzols, mainly illuvial-humus - 1.5%, sod-podzolic predominantly shallow podzolic - 1 .3%, soddy-podzolic (without division) - 0.3%, meadow-chernozem - 0.3%, gray forest residual-carbonate - 0.2%, soddy-podzolic surface gleyic predominantly deep and superdeep - 0, 1%, sod-carbonate (including leached and podzolized) -

Soddy-podzolic low-humus soils prevail on agricultural lands in the republic. 16.7% of arable lands are classified as acidic, 43.9% are close to neutral and 39.4% are neutral. Largest areas acid lands are available in the Orsha, Zvenigovsky and Yurinsky districts. 1.3% of arable lands are assigned to the group with very low and low phosphorus content, 10% - with medium and 88.7% - with high and high content. 15.1% of arable land areas were identified with very low and low potassium content, 44.6% with medium content, 40.3% with high and high potassium content. The republic is characterized by the location of natural fodder lands along gullies and ravines, most of which are subject to erosion. The most susceptible to erosion are the soils of the Gornomariysky district (the right bank of the Volga River), as well as the Sernursky, Kuzhenersky, Novotoryalsky, Morkinsky, Volzhsky regions, located in the axial zone of the Mariysko-Vyatsky rampart. These areas are characterized by high plowing of farmland and highly dissected relief. Wind erosion of soils in the republic is not observed.

Agriculture. Agricultural land occupies ≈ 33.1% of the territory, in their structure - arable land ≈ 61.1%, perennial plantations ≈ 1%, hayfields ≈ 7.3%, pastures ≈ 14%.

Animal husbandry and crafts. They breed cows (meat and dairy (Holstein, black-and-white) cattle breeding), pigs, sheep, goats, poultry (chickens, turkeys), horses, bees. Fishing.

Plant growing. They grow rye (winter), millet, oats, wheat (winter), barley, buckwheat, peas, flax, rapeseed (winter), hops, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms (oyster mushrooms), perennial herbs.

Approximate calendar of agricultural work in the Republic of Mari El

Districts of the Republic of Mari El

Acting Minister of Agriculture of Mari El, Yuri Sidiganov, during a specialized meeting, announced the expected results of the program for the development of dairy farming in the republic by 2025.

According to the head of the regional Ministry of Agriculture, the implementation of the project will increase the number of cows in 7-8 years by 20,000 heads, and milk production - by 120,000 tons. The plans are ambitious, because now a little more than 17 thousand cows are milked in Mari El, and the total milk yield in 2017 will be less than 100 thousand tons.

“If you look at the results of last year, then the share of agricultural enterprises accounted for 54% of the total milk production. In 2016, they produced 99 thousand tons of milk, of which 98 thousand tons were cow's milk, the rest was goat, mare and sheep milk,” Yury Sidiganov explained.

We add that over the past 10 years, over 4 billion rubles of investments have been attracted for the development of the dairy cattle breeding industry, which made it possible to implement 25 projects for the construction, reconstruction and modernization of livestock farms and complexes.

However, despite all this, the volume of milk production from 2006 to 2016 in Mari El decreased by 28%, in agricultural enterprises - by 16%. Only in peasant (farm) farms, an almost twofold increase in production was recorded. However, the share of peasant farms in the total republican milk yield is extremely low.

The leader in the Republican dairy production is Semenovsky CJSC, where every fifth liter, or 21,000 tons per year, is milked. In second place is CJSC "Mariyskoye" (10 thousand tons), in third place is the SPK collective farm "Pervoe Maya" (8 thousand tons).

“In 2016, in terms of the production of milk and dairy products per capita, the republic ranks ninth in the Volga Federal District, 27th in Russia. In terms of per capita consumption, Mari El is in sixth place. And the level of self-sufficiency of the republic in milk and dairy products is 100.1%,” the head of the regional Ministry of Agriculture continued to cite interesting figures.

With all this, in the republic for ten years, the milk productivity of cows in all agricultural enterprises has significantly increased - from 3506 kg to 5526 kg. The marketability of milk in the republic amounted to 90%. The fat content in milk, at a rate of 3.4%, ranges from 3.5 to 3.9%.

“The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic, on behalf of Alexander Evstifeev, developed a priority project “Development of Dairy Cattle Breeding in Mari El for 2018-2025”, for the implementation of which it is planned to allocate funds from the republican budget,” Yuri Sidiganov summed up his speech.

The program provides for a number of support measures: reimbursement of costs for the modernization, reconstruction and construction of new dairy farms, for the purchase of breeding young animals, for the purchase of artificial seed, as well as for the purchase of fodder equipment.

The priority project was approved by the project committee, the regional project office and is currently submitted for further approval at the Council under the head of Mari El for strategic development and priority projects. The estimated amount of funds to support the industry next year is 200 million rubles. However, the final figures will become known after the adoption of the budget of the republic for 2018.

We add that Kharon Amerkhanov, Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, who visited the Lukoz agricultural holding and the Semenovsky breeding farm, also took part in the meeting on the development of dairy farming in Mari El.

Main branches of animal husbandry

Cattle breeding

• The leading place is occupied by the breeding of cattle, which gives milk and meat.

• Developed in Gornomariysky, Mari-Tureksky, Sernursky, Morkinsky, Sovetsky and Medvedevsky districts.

• Bred mainly cattle, imported from Germany.

• In terms of the productivity of the dairy herd, Mari El is one of the ten best regions of Russia.

Do you know that…

• The cow is called the nurse, a symbol of well-being.

• In Yoshkar-Ola, they decided to erect a "monument" to the cow. The idea of ​​the installation belongs to the Minister of Agriculture Alexander Egoshin.

• A “monument” will be placed on a pedestal in front of the ministry building.

Pig breeding

• Leading branch of beef cattle breeding.

• Pigs of large white, Urzhum and other breeds are raised.

• There are farms in the Soviet, Medvedev, Mari-Turek, Zvenigovsky districts.

poultry farming

• The main directions are egg and meat; by-products - feather, down.

• In meat poultry farming, chickens of meat breeds, ducks, turkeys, geese, guinea fowl, quails are used.

• Poultry farms are operating: Azanovsky stud farm, Volzhskaya, Gornomariyskaya, Zvenigovskaya, Yoshkar-Olinskaya, Akashevskaya, CJSC "Mariyskoye".

horse breeding

• Developed in the Sernursky district is the horse farm JSC "Vegetable Breeder" for the production of koumiss.

• A significant place is given to the pedigree and productivity of livestock.

Beekeeping -

• Beekeeping - one of the oldest traditional occupations of the inhabitants of the Mari region (bees are bred in the forest southeastern and southern regions).

• Fish farming - ancient occupation. Mirror carp are bred at the fish hatcheries "Nolka" (Medvedevsky district), "Tolman" (Novotoryalsky district).

Fur farming is a farm for growing fur-bearing animals.

• Valuable furs are provided by Medvedevskoe, Obshiyarskoe (Volzhsky district) fur farms, where mink, arctic foxes and black-brown foxes are kept.

• At the All-Russian exhibitions of furs, furs with the mark of the Mari fur farms are always highly appreciated.

The agricultural workers have much to do in the future as well. Construction, reconstruction and modernization of livestock buildings is one of the main directions of the priority national program in the field of agriculture.

The introduction of market regulation mechanisms into the country's economy is accompanied by fundamental transformations in the system of all relations, including relations related to the use of natural soil fertility. That is, agricultural relations. The introduction of private property relations in agriculture leads to basic changes in both production area, as well as in social development villages. The agricultural economy is becoming a kind of business. Therefore, all unprofitable productions are curtailed, and unprofitable farms are subjected to the bankruptcy procedure. The volume of agricultural production is decreasing in those farms and regions where incomes do not cover costs. And production is being increased in profitable farms and regions. It is there that large private capital from other sectors of the economy begins to go. That is, the agricultural sector becomes the object of investment of non-state funds.

Territorial and qualitative changes in the production sector cause a whole chain of multiplier effects that primarily affect the social status of agricultural workers, all rural residents. The regional differentiation of the rural population in terms of the level and quality of life is increasing.

The situation of the population is noticeably improving in the investment regions. And in those regions where farming conditions are costly, the standard of living of the rural population is falling. The villagers are leaving the village en masse.

There are two assessments of the current state of agriculture and the countryside. One focuses on the negative consequences modern processes in agriculture. This assessment focuses on the social consequences: a decrease in the birth rate, an increase in mortality, the emigration of the population, especially young people, and the curtailment of life in the countryside. The second assessment is built along the chain: economic feasibility (profitability of agricultural production) - investment - development of the agricultural economy and the village - growth in the rural population - improving the level and quality of life of the population. In the event of a decrease in profitability, the chain changes its direction and quality.

In practice, these assessments reflect the mood of certain groups, both the population and the leaders of the agro-industrial complex, politicians. Therefore, they have a right to exist. However, if we evaluate the state of the village from the standpoint of market relations, the patterns of their development, then the second assessment is more in line with the realities of the market. Therefore, apparently, it makes sense to expand the essence of the second assessment into deeper and larger-scale studies and develop new directions for the development of agriculture as a sphere of agricultural business and the countryside as a space for the life and work of the population. And not necessarily, only rural.

Deep transformations in the agro-industrial complex could not bypass the Republic of Mari El as part of the single economic, social and political space of Russia. It also happens here system changes. They cover almost all spheres of the industry development, including regional agrarian legislation.

The Republic belongs to the group of industrial and agricultural regions. There are all conditions for the organization of effective agriculture. The republic has a sufficient amount of land suitable for cultivation. 31 percent of the territory of the republic, or 8607 thousand hectares, is agricultural land. They include the lands of enterprises, organizations and land plots of citizens beyond the boundaries of settlements used for the production of agricultural products. Lands of this category also include lands of the redistribution fund with a total area of ​​21.9 thousand hectares, transferred for temporary use and lease, as well as part of the lands not currently used in agricultural production. Agricultural land in the composition of agricultural land occupies 116.7 thousand hectares (83.2 percent). The total area of ​​agricultural land, taking into account some of them in the structure of land of other categories, is 783.1 thousand hectares. Agricultural lands are plowed by an average of 78.9 percent.

Being the most important components of the natural resource potential of the Republic of Mari El, agricultural lands, subject to all the requirements of their cultivation technology, can provide high productivity not only for crop and livestock production, but also for other sectors of the agricultural complex.

Agriculture of the republic is one of the sources of gross regional product (GRP). It accounted for 15.1 percent of GRP in 2003.

Table 1.

The share of the main sectors of the economy of the Republic of Mari El in the gross regional product (GRP)

Table 2.

Dynamics of agricultural production

One of the main factors, firstly, reducing the efficiency of the agrarian sector of the economy of the republic, and secondly, the formation of new, market relations are the complex processes of transformation of forms of ownership. In agriculture, a wide range of commodity producers of various forms of ownership is being formed. If at the end of the 90s of the last century there were about 190 state farms and collective farms in the republic, then by the beginning of 2004 in the agricultural sector there were 263 large and medium-sized agricultural organizations, 2.1 thousand peasant (farm) farms, 131.8 thousand agricultural enterprises. rural families had personal subsidiary plots. In this regard, the structure of gross agricultural output has changed. If in 1994 the agricultural organizations of the republic produced 54.7 percent of gross output, the population - 44.6 percent, peasant farms - 0.7 percent, then in 2003 - respectively 36.4 percent, 62.3 percent, 1.3 percent. That is, there is a significant reduction in the production of products of large and medium-sized agricultural organizations against the background of an annual increase in production in households.

Dairy and milk-and-meat animal husbandry, poultry farming, plant growing and potato growing predominate in the republic's agriculture. There are farms engaged in raising rabbits and beekeeping.

In animal husbandry, the cultivation and fattening of cattle and pigs are developed. At the same time, the cultivation of sheep and goats has been curtailed.

In poultry farming, the farms of the republic are engaged in the cultivation of chickens and geese, the production of eggs.

The volume of production in animal husbandry, the financial results of the industry, primarily depend on the number of livestock, poultry, rabbits, and the number of bee colonies.

Table 3

Livestock, poultry, rabbits (thousand heads), number of bee colonies (thousand families) in agricultural organizations

Statistical materials indicate that in the republic as a whole there is a decrease in the number of livestock, but at the same time the number of poultry is increasing.

One of the positive factors in livestock production is productivity growth: an increase in milk yield, average daily weight gain of pigs and cattle, and an increase in egg production.

If in 2000 the average milk yield per cow was 2186 kg, in 2004 it was 3126 kg; production of raising pigs per head increased by 38 kg, cattle - by 29 kg. The average egg production of laying hens increased by 16 during the period under review. This is what mainly determines the growth in the production of basic livestock products in the republic.

Table 4

Production of basic livestock products in agricultural organizations (thousand tons)

As for the entire agricultural sector of Mari El, in 2003 farms of all categories of meat produced 42.8 thousand tons, which is 0.8 thousand tons more than in 2002, 262.6 thousand tons of milk were produced, which is less by 9.8 thousand tons of the 2002 level.

Changes in the agricultural sector are taking place not only in animal husbandry, but also in crop production. First of all, the total sown area, areas under crops of grain and industrial crops, potatoes and annual grasses are reduced. At the same time, the areas under wheat, vegetables, and perennial grasses are increasing.

Table 5

Cultivated areas of agricultural crops (thousand ha)

Changes in the structure of sown areas, their reduction have led to a decrease in the gross harvest of crop products in recent years. It is limited by the remaining potential of resources needed to increase production. But at the same time, the yield of grain crops is increasing. During the period under review, it increased by 2.1 centners per hectare.

Table 6

Gross harvest of crop products in agricultural organizations (thousand tons)

Changes in the size of cultivated areas under different cultures, and hence the total volume of agricultural production, are related to the fact that farms are beginning to take into account market conditions, their financial, technical and human potential. Under crops and plantings, exactly as much land is occupied as the farm can cultivate, sow and harvest. And those types of agricultural products for which there is a demand in the market are produced. At the same time, indicators of business efficiency in this industry, and not quantitative indicators of production, come to the fore.

The main resource for the development of crop production is the quality of land under grain and other crops. And this depends not only on the parameters of natural fertility, but also on the amount of fertilizers applied. In the past fifteen years, due to the lack of funds on the farms, little attention has been paid to this issue.

Table 7

Soil ecology (fertilizers applied and the share of the area fertilized with fertilizers in the entire sown area), in percent

The most important factors hindering the development of crop production and other sectors of the agrarian economy include the state of the tractor fleet and agricultural machinery. Over the past decade, the number of machine and tractor fleet has decreased on average by more than 50 percent, and the equipment available at the beginning of 2003 had wear and tear of more than 80 percent and 100 percent.

Thus, the main results of the activities of the agro-industrial complex indicate that the republic has not lost its internal potential for the development of the agro-industrial complex.

Regional legislation also contributes to maintaining relative stability in this area. In the Republic of Mari El in 2004, two important laws were adopted aimed at stimulating the industry: the laws “On State Support for Agriculture”, “On the Republican target program"Development of personal subsidiary plots in the Republic of Mari El for 2005-2008". This lays the long-term foundations for the development of the agrarian sector of the republic's economy, state support for agricultural enterprises and personal farmsteads.

The positive side of the legislative acts is that state support for agriculture and personal farmsteads is aimed at stimulating the development of agricultural production by allocating funds from the republican budget to subsidize agricultural enterprises, peasant (farmer) households, citizens engaged in entrepreneurial activity without education legal entity; transfers for the purpose of material stimulation of human resources in agriculture.

In accordance with the law “On State Support for Agriculture”, the following categories of subsidies for agricultural support are established in the Republic of Mari El:

To support livestock breeding;

To support the production of livestock products;

To support elite and primary seed production;

To improve soil fertility;

To compensate for the difference in interest rates on loans received from credit institutions of the Russian Federation;

To support the renewal of fixed assets of agriculture;

To compensate for the costs of veterinary and sanitary utility plants;

For the purchase of fuels and lubricants;

For crop insurance.

In 2003, 86.8 million rubles were allocated from the federal budget for the development of the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Mari El, which is 22.1 million rubles more than in 2002. In 2003, targeted measures of the agro-industrial complex were financed at the expense of the republican budget in the amount of 129.1 million rubles.

In 2003, enterprises of the agro-industrial complex received 215.9 million rubles of credit resources on the terms of subsidizing at the expense of the federal and republican budgets, which is 46.1 million rubles more than in 2002.

In 2005, 107.25 million rubles are supposed to be spent on subsidies from the republican budget of the Republic of Mari El. And together with transfers - 123.4 million rubles.

In the production of agricultural products, the role of the personal household of citizens is increasing. In 2003, 91.8% of potatoes, 80.2% of vegetables, 44.7% of meat, 55.4% of milk were produced here. Therefore, this sector of agriculture becomes the subject of special attention of the regional authorities. Evidence of this is the adoption of the law on the republican target program "Development of personal subsidiary plots in the Republic of Mari El for 2005-2006". To stimulate the development of private farms, it is planned to create organizational conditions and provision of private subsidiary plots and (or) agricultural cooperatives and other organizations serving them with state financial resources on a returnable basis; to carry out measures to improve the productive and breeding qualities of farm animals, organize artificial insemination of farm animals; annual free veterinary examination of livestock, organization of its veterinary services, fight against contagious animal diseases. These are the problems, the solution of which will make it possible in the future to increase the stability of the agricultural sector of the economy, its productivity, reduce unemployment and increase the incomes of the rural population.

In accordance with the program, the total amount of state aid to private farms for 2005-2008 will amount to 40.4 million rubles. Including from the federal budget - 10.6 million rubles, the republican budget of the Republic of Mari El and municipal budgets - 19.6 million rubles and 10.2 million rubles from extrabudgetary sources. It is assumed that as a result of the implementation of the program, the volume of marketable products in personal subsidiary plots will increase by 10-15 percent.

However, the “shift” of commodity production towards peasant (farmer) households, personal farmsteads has both positive and negative sides. The positive ones include:

Development of entrepreneurship in the countryside, which is already an indicator of the introduction of market principles of management in the agricultural sector of the economy; in agriculture, the foundations of the agricultural business are being formed;

The rural population has the opportunity to receive additional income and improve their standard of living;

The retention of agricultural personnel motivated to work in agriculture is increasing.

Of the negative consequences, it should be noted:

Low labor productivity in the small commodity sector of the rural economy;

High labor costs per unit of output;

Unjustifiably low incomes of the rural population due to low purchase prices and high costs of material resources - seeds, young livestock, and others;

The emergence of a "surplus" labor force.

In combination, they create huge problems for the development of rural areas as a single socio-economic, territorial, natural and cultural-historical complexes that perform production, socio-demographic, cultural, environmental and recreational functions.

But at the same time, in the absence of effective agricultural policy the federal government, the adopted legislative acts of the republic will provide significant assistance in solving the basic problems of the development of agriculture in Mari El, will help reduce the barriers to its low competitiveness.

The current state of agriculture in the republic, as well as throughout the country, largely depends on natural, climatic and weather conditions, purchase prices for agricultural products. Risky farming conditions, high costs per unit of output, low purchase prices reproduce the low profitability of the agricultural sector.

Farms also experience a huge shortage of funds for the introduction of advanced production technologies, since they also require huge investment funds, because they are associated with the purchase of new, high-performance and complex equipment.

At the same time, policy strengthening state support the agro-industrial complex of the republic, the constant professional development of managers and specialists has a positive effect on the activation of human resources, increasing their productivity. Many farms are introducing advanced technologies for feeding and keeping livestock, cultivating grain and fodder crops. As a result, the productivity of cows and poultry increases, and the yield of grain crops increases.

The goal of the development of any sector of the economy, including agriculture, any manufacturing enterprise, business is financial results. The value of the net profit of enterprises in the agricultural sector depends on this. The latter makes it possible to implement programs for renewing funds, improving the quality of land, increasing wages, and improving the level and quality of life of rural workers and their families. In the Republic of Mari El, in recent years, a certain positive trend in the growth of agricultural incomes has been formed. However, its development is characterized by noticeable instability. If in 2000 the balanced financial result of agriculture amounted to 1.8 million rubles, and in 2001 - 155.4 million rubles, then in 2002 there was a loss of 13.4 million rubles, in 2003 - 74, 6 million rubles. Favorable conditions in 2004 made it possible to complete the financial year with a profit of 69.4 million rubles.

However, despite the instability of the dynamics of the net profit of agricultural enterprises, a steady growth of profitable farms is observed in the republic. If in 2000 32.2 percent of agricultural enterprises were profitable, then in 2004 - 51.5 percent.

In general, it should be noted that, despite a number of problematic "zones" in the development of agriculture, a positive process of forming new market relations is taking place in this sector of the republic's economy. The strengthening of state influence on the reforms carried out in the agrarian sector of the economy will allow agriculture republic to give stability in development and turn this industry into one of the leading industries of the republic, and rural area make it convenient for life and work.