Patrushev called the harvesting campaign one of the crucial stages of the agricultural industry.

One of the most crucial stages for the agricultural industry in 2025 is the harvesting campaign. This was announced on July 11 by Dmitry Patrushev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

"Currently, the harvesting campaign is one of the most important stages of the year for the industry. Work has started in 22 regions. The Ministry of Agriculture maintains forecast expectations for major crops, including plans to harvest about 135 million tons of grain," Patrushev said during a meeting of the government commission with the leadership of relevant ministries and departments.

In addition, special attention was paid at the meeting to improving efficiency in crop production, in particular, improving the use of land resources. This is also facilitated by a separate state program of the Ministry of Agriculture, through which more than 2 million hectares have been introduced in three years. Among other things, active normative work is underway in this area, for which six laws have been adopted since 2022.

"I would like to note separately that this year the so-called "two keys" law was approved, which assumes that the opinion of the Ministry of Agriculture is taken into account when transferring farmland to other categories. In addition, the inclusion of farmland within the boundaries of settlements should also be coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture. Thus, the most valuable lands will be protected from unjustified disposal," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The meeting participants also discussed the preferential leasing mechanism and noted that it remains one of the most effective measures to support the renewal of the agricultural machinery fleet. It is specified that in 2024, Rosagroleasing supplied farmers with a record 19 thousand units in six years. At the same time, in 2025, the volume of subsidies for preferential leasing increased by more than 40%.

The ground is empty: how drought may affect harvests in 2025

Forecasters and the Ministry of Agriculture are cautious in their forecasts, while farms note a lack of moisture in the soil.

Earlier, on July 9, Patrushev visited the Kemerovo region. During his working trip, he met with the governor of the region, Ilya Seredyuk. Special attention was paid to the work of the Kuzbass agro-industrial complex and the implementation of the national project "Environmental Well-being". Patrushev also called Kuzbass a major producer of grain and oilseeds in Siberia and expressed the hope that adverse weather conditions would not seriously affect the final harvest.