Farm support. In the Astrakhan region approved new subsidies

The government of the Astrakhan region approved a new procedure for providing subsidies to support priority areas of small agribusiness. The document determines who will be able to qualify for budget funds, what expenses are allowed to be compensated and what indicators should be fulfilled by recipients. A separate advantage in the distribution of money is provided for the heads of peasant farms associated with participation in a special military operation.

From farmers to aggregators

The new order was adopted within the framework of the state program “Development of agriculture, food and fish industry of the Astrakhan region”. The subsidies are intended to reimburse some of the costs in several areas of small agribusiness.

The first area concerns peasant farms. Agricultural consumer cooperatives will also receive support. They are allowed to compensate part of the costs associated with the purchase of agricultural products from members of the cooperative and citizens leading personal subsidiary farms. The purchase of pork and pig meat for slaughter is excluded from this direction.

The programme also covers the acquisition of harvested wild fruits, berries, nuts, mushrooms and other edible forest resources. We are talking about products that the cooperative purchases for further sale or processing with subsequent sale.

Another category of recipients specified in the document are agro-aggregators. For them, reimbursement of part of the cost of purchasing farm products from its producers is provided.

Agro-aggregators will also be able to receive compensation for part of the cost of purchasing facilities and equipment necessary for harvesting, storage, working, processing, sorting, primary processing, cooling and preparation of agricultural products for sale. The same list includes objects for transportation and sale of products, wool, food forest resources and products of their processing. The document allows to take into account equipment for storage, processing, packaging and marking, specialized vehicles and gas reciprocating plants.

Up to 20 million for farming

For peasant farms, the size of the subsidy can be up to 60% of the actual costs. If the recipient is an organic producer, the reimbursement share is increased to 70%. At the same time, a maximum amount of payment is set, not more than 20 million rubles.

This amount may include expenses related to the leasing of equipment and equipment. The document allows one-time reimbursement of up to 20% of leasing payments for equipment and equipment purchased for the assembly of facilities intended for the production, storage or processing of agricultural products. For this part, a separate limit is set, not more than 5 million rubles.

The procedure connects the provision of money not only with the costs incurred, but also with the results of the economy. For this direction, an indicator of growth in the volume of agricultural production in monetary terms is established.

Peasant farming should ensure an increase of at least 7% in the year of selection compared to the previous year. The same minimum increase is envisaged in the following year in relation to the year of selection. The performance of the indicator is estimated annually as of December 31.

Cooperatives will reimburse the purchase of products

A separate mechanism is provided for agricultural consumer cooperatives. They will be able to reimburse part of the cost of purchasing agricultural products and food forest resources from their members, with the exception of associates, as well as from citizens who maintain personal subsidiary farms and are not members of this cooperative.

The calculation of support takes into account the actual costs incurred in the selection year. The amount of compensation depends on the revenue received from the sale of purchased products and food forest resources.

The document sets several bets. With revenue from the sale of such products from 5,001 million to 25 million rubles inclusive, the rate is 12% of costs. If the revenue exceeds 25 million rubles, the reimbursement is 15% of the costs. The maximum amount for one agricultural consumer cooperative is limited to 20 million rubles.

There is an additional condition related to the procurement structure. The volume of agricultural products and wild food resources purchased from one member of the cooperative or one owner of a personal subsidiary farm should not exceed 15% of the total volume of purchases of the cooperative in value terms for the corresponding reporting quarter.

An efficiency indicator is also provided for this direction. The volume of sales of agricultural products in monetary terms purchased from members of the cooperative and owners of personal subsidiary farms should increase by at least 7% in the year of selection in relation to the previous year. This indicator should grow by at least 7% next year in relation to the year of selection.

Separate money for agro-aggregators

For agro-aggregators in the order identified two areas of cost recovery. The first is directly related to the purchase of farm products from its producers.

The amount of such support depends on the cost of the purchased products. If, according to the results of the reporting quarter, it is from 5 million to 25 million rubles inclusive, 10% of costs are compensated. With the volume of purchases from 25,001 million to 50 million rubles inclusive, the rate is increased to 12%. If the cost of purchased farm products exceeds 50,001 million rubles, the rate is 15%.

The second direction is related to the material base of the agro-aggregator. Reimbursement is subject to part of the cost of acquisition and subsequent inclusion in the indivisible fund of objects for procurement, storage, working, processing, sorting, cooling, preparation for sale, transportation and sale of agricultural products.

The same mechanism includes equipment for storage, processing, packaging and marking, specialized vehicles and gas reciprocating units. The amount of such a subsidy may not exceed 30% of the actual costs. The upper limit is set at 20 million rubles.

The document allows in certain cases reimbursement of expenses made in the fourth quarter of the previous year. To do this, the application must be submitted in the first half of the selection year, and the costs themselves should not have been compensated earlier. For 2026, it is separately established that expenses for the fourth quarter of 2025 can be reimbursed until October 1, 2026, if previously they were not supported.

Members will have an advantage in selection

A mechanism for supporting participants in a special military operation and members of their families is prescribed separately. The advantage in conducting the selection is given to individual entrepreneurs who are heads of peasant farms without the formation of a legal entity, if they participated in a special military operation or belong to family members of SVO participants.

We are talking about citizens living in the territory of the Astrakhan region, corresponding to the categories defined by presidential decree No. 327 of May 15, 2026.

The advantage is realized in the distribution of the subsidy. Such applications should be included in the rating, which is formed based on the results of the ranking of received applications.

To confirm the relevant status, documents on participation in the CBO are provided. If a family member of the deceased participant applies for support, the procedure provides for documents confirming the death and its connection with participation in a special military operation, the performance of relevant tasks or hostilities. Separately registered supporting documents for family members of participants of the SVO, missing or recognized as missing.

At the same time, one of the results of granting subsidies is the implementation of farm projects, including those created by participants and veterans of a special military operation, to increase agricultural production.

One application is not enough

Receiving money involves passing selection. The document sets out a set of requirements for potential recipients. In particular, the participant should not have overdue salary arrears. It shall report on its financial and economic condition for the last reporting period prior to the application.

In addition, the applicant should not be found to have evaded the conclusion of a grant agreement in the selection year. Another condition concerns the previous state support: within two years before the year of selection, the participant should not have the facts of the return in court of subsidies or grants provided by the regional ministry.

The procedure also does not allow reimbursement of the same actual costs in other areas of state support provided for by the regional program. Requirements related to the absence of liquidation and bankruptcy are established for legal entities, and for individual entrepreneurs with the continuation of their activities.

The participant must submit a certificate of the need for subsidies in the relevant direction, as well as the proposed values of the result and indicators. Documents in the application must contain the necessary details, be read and not have corrections or damages that prevent the unambiguous interpretation of their content.

For each line of support, the interested person is entitled to submit only one application.

Money is tied to the outcome

The subsidy system provides for subsequent monitoring. For farmers, the result should be projects to increase agricultural production. For cooperatives and agro-aggregators, the result is associated with the implementation of projects that should lead to an increase in revenues from the sale of agricultural or food products.

The deadline for achieving results is set for 31 December of the selection year. Quantitative indicators are additionally defined for certain areas, including the increase in production or sales of products.

Recipients must report on the achievement of the prescribed values. For most recipients, reports are submitted quarterly no later than the tenth working day of the month following the reporting quarter, and for the fourth quarter no later than April 1 of the following year. For agricultural producers who are microenterprises, annual reporting is provided no later than April 1 of the following year.

If, after transferring money during the current year, the subsidy rates increase, the recipient will be able to apply for support again. In this case, the amount of additional payment is defined as the difference between the amount already received and the grant calculated at the new rate.