February 27 2003, 14:38 RosBusinessConsulting

Russia says there are 264,000 private farms all over the country

In 2002 Russian private farms (as opposed to collective farming enterprises, established on the basis of former Soviet kolkhozes) that totaled 264,000 business units produced 12 percent of all grains in domestic market, 20 percent of sunflower seeds, 8 percent of sugar beet and 2 percent of milk and meat products, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Anatoly Mikhalyov said to 14th Congress of the Association of Private Farms and Agriculture Cooperatives of Russia.

Specific weight of private farmer's grain in national output increased from 8 percent in1999 to 14 percent in 2002.

Mikhalyov also noted that 6.2 percent or 16,400 of all private farms totally own 55.1 percent (9.73 million hectares) of farmland, belonging to such kind of agricultural businesses in Russia.

In 2002 only 1,200 or just 0,5 percent of private farmers got preferential banking credits

with state subsidising of interest rate.