Agriculture Minister, Alexander Tkachyov stated on Tuesday that Russia will be less reliant on food imports in future, hoping to eliminate them from the market altogether by 2025.
Such a move would require, of course, considerable state support - a sum of 2 trillion roubles ($35 billion) over the next five years. Nevertheless, it will undoubtedly be a huge boost to domestic agriculture. Tkachyov, appointed in April to boost agriculture development remarked that as a result of sanctions, domestic producers have greatly benefited as the cost of imported food was raised. In addition he says it is in demand by the Russian public itself:
Although counter-sanction measures are to be in place till 6th August 2016, it seems the sanctions put in place by the EU have inspired a re-think of Russia's agricultural policy for years to come."Domestic products are sought after on shop shelves; they are in demand. There is now something of a trend - people want to see national produce and they trust it because it is good quality and they know where it's come from".
Comment: These sanctions are harming Europe more than Russia. Europeans should really begin to see that they are a prime target in this economic warfare. But, before the West wakes up, it's obvious that Washington plans on taking everyone down.