Large-scale public investment is changing the face of the Russian provinces, laying a solid foundation for the stable operation and long-term development of the agro-industrial complex.
During a recent working visit to the Saratov Region, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev announced the key financial results of the state program «Comprehensive Development of Rural Areas.»
From 2020 to 2026, total federal budget funding reached almost 500 billion rubles. This is a strategically important indicator, directly impacting the workforce in rural areas.
Infrastructure Breakthrough and New Standards
The comprehensive improvement program demonstrates impressive geographic and social reach.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, modernization has affected approximately 13,000 settlements across the country, significantly improving the quality of life for more than 20 million people.
During the program’s implementation, more than 6,000 key infrastructure facilities have been built and renovated.
A prime example of this work is the Balakovsky District of the Saratov Region, where a site for new housing development is currently being actively prepared.
As part of the program, modern sewer networks and a gas supply system have already been installed in the future settlement. Road workers are currently continuing to build the intra-settlement highway.
This integrated approach will fully provide utility networks to 440 land plots. Overall, the program has improved the living conditions of 250,000 residents in the Saratov Region.
Expert View: What Should Be the Priorities
Despite obvious successes, the scale of the tasks remains colossal on a national scale.
Natalia Shagaida, Director of the Center for Agri-Food Policy at RANEPA, emphasizes the program’s high significance, but points out the specific nature of settlement patterns in Russia.
Russian villages are extremely dispersed and vary greatly in population size, so resource shortages will always be felt.
According to the expert, to achieve a qualitative leap, it is necessary to implement state-guaranteed standards of improvement for different types of settlements.
Residents of small villages should have access to a minimum set of social services. If a village doesn’t have its own hospital, a high-quality road should lead to a larger town. Every village, not just large centers, should have the right to development.
Long-Term Targets until 2031
The state program, launched by order of the president in 2019, aims to address systemic demographic and economic problems in rural areas, where almost a third of Russia’s population—over 37 million people—live.
The program is designed to run until 2030, and the Ministry of Agriculture is setting clear performance indicators for the industry by 2031:
Demographics – Maintain the share of the rural population at least 25% of the country’s total population (in 2023, it was 25.1%).
Household Income – Increase the level of disposable resources of rural families to 70% of the level of urban families (in 2023, it was 69.7%).
Landscaping – Increase the share of fully equipped housing in rural areas to 54%, up from 44.3% in 2023.
For major agribusiness players, a comfortable rural environment is a fundamental condition for attracting young professionals and retaining qualified personnel.
Road development, gasification, and the construction of new housing at state expense allow agricultural companies to focus their resources on modernizing production, creating attractive jobs in rural areas.
