State to subsidize grain purchases for cattle feeding purposes

MOSCOW, July 13 (Itar-Tass) -- The state might subsidize grain
purchases from the intervention stock for cattle feeding purposes.
At a Monday meeting of the presidium of the government, Russian Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin instructed the Ministries of Finance and of
Agriculture to agree the volume of subsidies needed to purchase cattle
fodder to support farms suffering from the drought so that they did not
have to reduce their cattle stock.
Putin stressed that the state must take all measures needed to
preserve production growth in the cattle breeding sector and prevent the
loss of cattle.
"The situation is very difficult, but I would like to stress that we
have a serious safety margin, we have reserves formed over the past
years," Putin said. In his words, it will make it possible to "guarantee
sustainable agricultural production." He said he was sure these reserves
were enough to "completely meet the domestic grain demand."