Why is our region not Tatarstan?

At the All-Russian Forum of Rural Settlements in Mordovia, Vladimir Putin said that “the territory of the country, where almost 40 million people live, cannot and will not remain without state support.” At a meeting with the heads of municipal districts, held in the village of Lekma, Slobodsky district, Governor Nikita Belykh echoed him: “... the development of the agro-industrial complex has been identified as one of the priority areas of the strategy for the socio-economic development of the region until 2020,” naming the key task to increase the volume of milk processing within the region. A lot of beautiful and wonderful words about the importance of the Russian village, the country’s food security, support for agricultural producers, and attention to the needs of people in the most remote corners of Russia were said from the highest stands. But the real situation with the situation in the Vyatka village is not changing for the better.

This year, two suburban farms were destroyed - SPK im. Lenin and SPK Ilinskoye. Acquired as a result of bankruptcy proceedings by negligent owners from Nizhny Novgorod, whom some regional officials called “swindlers” on the sidelines, they were finally finished off. And with a special form of cynicism - hundreds of cows and calves were brought to death by starvation. The agony of the animals, throwing up their hands (what can you do - the sacred right of property, apparently, does not concern only Sochi landowners, whose plots were located at the Olympic venues), were observed by the prosecutor's office, and veterinary supervision, and the authorities - there are no legal powers to influence such owners. This is despite the fact that functioning enterprises are tortured by endless inspections.

Two years ago, at a regional gathering of representatives of rural areas, I listened to a citizen from the Kirovo-Chepetsk region, who, barely holding back tears, clarified whether the government’s plans included the destruction of an entire breeding farm, when the twenty-year work of the team, whose 70 employees were left without work. “It wasn’t included,” the speaker responsible for agriculture then spread his hands, “but that’s the decision of the new owner of the enterprise.” Nothing has changed in two years.

SPK Rodina still lies on its side in the Slobodsky district; desperate attempts are being made to save it, but there is no food, no funds, and there is very little chance of survival. How many such enterprises are there in the region - dozens, how many people are behind them - tens of thousands? The position of the regional authorities is simple: they will not invest in those who are “already going downhill.” There's no point. This is probably true from the point of view of wild Russian capitalism. There is only one point that confuses me. Why is it that in neighboring Tatarstan, when you drive through it, all the villages are well-groomed, the huts are repaired, the fields are plowed, the cattle are fat and happy? Why are many of our agricultural enterprises forced to sell milk to the Tatar “Vamin”? Why are there no situations in Tatarstan with local collective farm disasters that send hundreds of previously employed people to the sidelines? This is a mystery to me.

Let me give you another example of a successful agricultural enterprise and a talented leader. SEC "Lekminsky" is one of the leading farms in the region. “The best crops”, “the most significant gains in young cattle” - the “district” is replete with messages about the successes of the enterprise. The milk yield per one forage cow is 8350 kg - a phenomenal achievement already at the regional level, almost all milk is sold in the extra category, the animal diet meets the best European standards. And this is in the north of the region, then there is the Komi Republic. The average salary is more than 18 thousand rubles (5 thousand rubles higher than the industry average in the region); in addition, employees receive significant assistance with natural products for running personal farming. Several houses are built every year to provide a place for young professionals to live. Position of the head of the SPK V.A. Olyushina - full support of the social and cultural sphere. I personally had the pleasant opportunity to go on a tour to the museum of the Lekmin School, which was recognized as the best museum in educational institutions of the Kirov region - without the support of the chairman this would not have happened.

However, Vladimir Aleksandrovich says that a veterinarian, livestock specialist, and agronomist are needed, but no one comes. If earlier school graduates planned in advance: I will be a machine operator, I will be a milkmaid, etc., but now everyone is leaving. At repeated meetings, students of the Agricultural Academy have not yet expressed a desire to work here in their specialty.

What are the reasons? The school came under an optimization program, grades 9-11 were closed, high school students are now studying in Shestakovo, which is 25 km away, or even in Slobodskoye. The first-aid post was prohibited from selling medicines, Sberbank closed its branch, now the post office is raising the question of a possible departure from Lekma, there is no cell phone service. It turns out that to obtain the basic “benefits of civilization,” residents of Lekma have to travel tens of kilometers, using three public transport flights a day. That is, there are programs to support rural areas, but there is no comprehensive government approach to solving the problem in our region. Shouldn’t education, healthcare, Sberbank, the post office (in Soviet times there were even service houses with hairdressing salons and rental services) solve social problems in addition to commercial ones? They will say - no, it’s not their business to save the village. Until the governor and the Legislative Assembly present the corresponding requirements, formalized in regulatory documents.

After the trend towards distrust of foreigners has acquired national proportions, apparently, we should expect a law banning widespread trips to Europe and the USA for experience. Or maybe it’s not worth going there yet, it’s enough to turn to the experience of Tatarstan?