OREANDA-NEWS. On 26 February 2009 was announced, that security of food supply is a common concern around the world. Agriculture of the Vologda Oblast is represented by more than 300 enterprises of various organizational and legal forms. By virtue of natural conditions and economic factors, the following branches are developed in the region: grain-, potato-, flax-growing and cattle-breeding. Today, when almost 70 percent of agricultural products come from animal husbandry, nearly one-half of all arable land is used for raising feed crops.

The Vologda Oblast Government gives considerable support to its agricultural sector. The program "Main Guidelines for Agricultural Development in Vologda Region for 2006-2010" indicates the following high priorities - cattle breeding, meat and milk processing, development of linen industry, supplying with high-qualified personnel and development of rural areas.

The region is more than self-sufficient in nearly all major products. In 2008 it was producing close to 100% of its needs for cereals, flax fibre, meat, dairy products, poultry meat and vegetables. Farmers of the Vologda area are amongst the most productive in Russia. They supply the essential foodstuffs for the region, they feed other parts of Russia as well.

The Vologda Oblast Government has three main objectives for agribusiness:

to improve the economic performance of agribusiness by creating the conditions in which they can flourish efficiently and sustainably;

to promote the provision of ecologically-friendly, high-quality food;

to protect and enhance the rural environment, and to protect farm animals by encouraging welfare standards.

The aim is to make food available for the region's consumers at affordable prices while ensuring farmers a fair return for their efforts.

The region's agricultural land occupies an area of 10% of the total territory of the Oblast. 70% of the agricultural land is under crops, the rest being under grazing and haying. Traditional farms and personal plots play an important role in the sector, providing most of all production.

Main crop of the oblast is winter rye. Much land is under barley, oats and spring wheat.

Soil (loam and podzol) and weather conditions are suitable for flax growing in the Oblast. Every year Vologda becomes home to the All-Russian Fair and Exhibition "Russian Flax". The exhibitors demonstrate innovation technologies to be applied in the linen industry, in production of technological equipment for textile industry and manufacture of flax fibre and flaxen goods. Flax-growers of Vologda are known in the whole Russia by the quality of their product.

For the first time ever in Russia a milking robot was installed on a dairy farm RODINA (Vologda Oblast) on December 18, 2007. Automatic milking is serious alternative for a traditional milking parlour. A successful use of automatic milking depends largely on the farm conditions and the management skills of farmers. There is a tendency to increase the number of farms milking with an automatic milking system throughout the Oblast. New milking technology reduces the labour input during milking, resulting in a higher output per man-hour.

Changing over from a milking parlour to automatic milking leads to big changes for both farmers and cows. With automatic milking, the milking process does not require permanent supervision. Automatic milking places emphasis on the cow's motivation to visit the AM-system to be milked more or less voluntarily. For this reason all AM-systems are equipped with concentrate dispensers.

The Vologda Oblast is participating in a national priority project Efficient Agriculture designed to raise living standards of rural residents and boost the productivity of private farms and farmers' economies. Another aim of the agriculture project is to develop cattle breeding, encourage small farms and provide affordable housing to young people who want to stay on the land. The program is aimed to develop social welfare by additional funding by the state.

Within the framework of the project for Efficient Agricultural development agricultural enterprises were granted credits for technical equipment to farmers, and to facilitate a technical upgrade of the sector ensuring better output and to purchase bloodstock. Agricultural co-operatives were rendered financial and legal consulting services in order to help them deploy the money received as loans. 33 agricultural co-operatives were set up in the region in 2008.

The agricultural enterprises of the region get subsidies from the local and federal budget that help farmers to remain competitive and to adapt to market requirements. The program "Rural Development till 2012" helps to finance large-scale infrastructural projects in the districts: building of motorways, schools, sport complexes, gas pipelines, telecommunication systems, power lines, water-supply networks, etc.

In 2008 production and yeilds rose as a result of new technologies, increased use of fertilizers and other inputs and more intensive means of production.

In 2008 510,6 million eggs were produced, an average egg productivity of the laying hen being 276 eggs.

The Oblast's beef, veal and poultrymeat production makes up 78,6 thousand tons (live weight).

In 2008 milk yield averaged 481,5 thousand tons. A diversified range of dairy products is manufactured: concentrated, dry and natural milk, cheese, technical and food casein, etc.

Agricultural yields, 2008

(produce of enterprises of various organizational and legal forms)

Cereal 242,2 ths tons 

Flax fibre 1,7 ths tons 

Potatoes 256,8 ths tons 

Vegetables 62,0 ths tons 

Every region has its claim to fame, but there's none sweeter than Vologda's position as Russia's butter capital. Butter-making, being one of the clearly expressed specializations of the Vologda Oblast, has a many-centuries old tradition. Just mention butter and quality together and every Russian will invariably reply "Vologda butter". Vologda butter (Vologodskoe) is a traditional Russian product, with delicious taste and natural lightness. Industrial production of butter on the territory of the Vologda gubernia developed rapidly. In 1913 there were 1290 creameries in the region in comparison to 15 in 1875. At that time the Vologda province produced 20% of butter manufactured in the European part of Russia. Butter became a special item of the Vologda export late in the 19th century.

Over the last 100 years the settlement of Molochnoye has evidently become a major centre for dairy farming in the Vologda Oblast. It boasts the Vologda Dairy Academy, a local creamery, a research institute and a livestock breeding farm. There prominent dairy experts take important and innovative initiatives and work hard to create the institutional framework of the Vologda butter production and trade. This delicate and delicious brand is made at only six dairies in the Vologda region.

The countryside is not just the home and the centre of activity of the people who live there. Its open spaces, hills, woodlands, lakes and rivers offer recreational and leisure possibilities for city dwellers. Tourism can be developed in natural beauty spots or in areas with noteworthy flora and fauna.