Sechin promises 10% discount on fuels and lubricants to farmers

MOSCOW, July 13 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Igor
Sechin on Monday promised a 10-percent discount on fuels and lubricants
for the country's farmers.
"It has been considered expedient to continue rendering support to
farmers and to offer 10-percent discounts on fuels and lubricants starting
from early July," Sechin told a meeting of the presidium of the government.
'As of July 1, 2010, the prices roughly corresponded to those of
December 2009," he said. "We are asking to endorse this approach," he said
addressing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
"All right, let us do it, bearing in mind that the current situation
in the agricultural sector is very difficult and such support will be more
than expedient," Putin replied.
"Last week, we had a meeting involving all the agencies concerned and
oil companies and squared decisions on supporting farmers," Sechin said.
In his words, in 2009, oil companies supplied 1.4 million tons of fuels
and lubricants to the agricultural sector, and in February-June of 2010
the figure was 988,000 tons. "The volume of preferences in 2010 has
already reached some 3.3 billion roubles," he added.