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"Protection of Russian market from imports of foods is a priority task" - Russian Agriculture Minister
Russian Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture Aleksey Gordeyev has declared that in 2003 the budget of the Agriculture Ministry will be increased by RUR 5.5 billion (US$ 174 million) from last year's RUR 20 billion (US$ 633 million). It is also possible that in 2003 Russian agriculture will get an extra RUR 2 to 3 billion (US$ 63 to 95 million).
He also said that protection of Russian market from imports of foods from abroad was a priority task for Russian government at the moment. He said in June this year a bunch of protective measures had already been taken, but they were "clearly not enough". Therefore, he believes Russian government has to "revise the volumes of protection" and come to protect the market from imports of pig and cattle meats.