Altai Region is one of the largest agricultural regions of the Russian Federation. The region has more than 300 large and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, over 4000 private farms, and about 450,000 private subsidiary farms.
Growth of agricultural production for the period 2006-2009 was 134,3%.
The total area of agricultural lands is 12,4 million hectares, including agricultural holding of 10,6 million hectares. The leading role in the structure of plant growing belongs to grain farming which is the largest sector of the agro-industrial complex of the region. The average yield of gross grain for the period 2006-2009 was 4,4 million tons, the average grain yield was 12,6 centners per hectare.
Altai Region has an opportunity not only to meet its own requirements in grain but also export the grain and its products outside the region; the gluten content of Altai grain exceeds the world standards. Traditionally the main direction of the use of the grain produced in the region is manufacturing of flour and cereals by local processing enterprises.
Altai Region is the largest manufacturer of sunflower seeds in Siberia, the region produces about 80% of them.
Altai Region is the only region from the Urals to the Far East which produces sugar beet; its average yield is 217 centners per hectare. In 2009 the yield of this crop for the first time in the history of sugar beet growing amounted to 271,3 centners per hectare.
Flax is a traditionally cultivated valuable technical crop and the major domestic source of vegetable raw materials for a wide range of products for household and industrial uses. Altai region produces nearly a quarter of the total volume of this crop in the Russian Federation.
Two major greenhouse enterprises: Altai Regional State Unitary Enterprise “Industrialny” and Altai Regional State Unitary Enterprise “Sputnik” grow vegetables in greenhouses in the area of 28 hectares with a production volume of 10,8 thousand tons of vegetables.
In Altai Region commercial gardening is actively developing. The most promising area of this industry development is growing of sea-buckthorn, also known as “Siberian pineapple” as it contains much vitamins and minerals. The main product of sea buckthorn processing (96%) is sea buckthorn oil, which is highly demanded.
In Altai Region dairy and beef cattle-breeding, poultry farming, swine breeding, sheep, horse breeding, beekeeping, breeding animals for furs and fishing are developing.
Over the past four years there is an increase in number of livestock in the region. The leading branch of animal husbandry in the region is dairy farming. The percentage of the region in the production of milk in the area is approximately 24%.
In recent years poultry industry demonstrates sustainable development. There is a tendency to increase the production of table eggs by increasing the production capacity of poultry farms. Needs of the population of the region in eggs completely satisfied by domestic production, moreover, the average productivity in the region is higher than the average in Russia - 314 eggs (the national average - 303 eggs). In 2009 the first stage of the poultry complex “Altai Broiler” was completed for production of broiler meat of 36 thousand tons, the second stage for production of 27 tons of broiler meat is being built.
Pig breeding plays an important role in filling the food market with meat products. Till now the main bulk of pork to the regional market was supplied by personal subsidiary farms. In perspective pig breeding in the region will be based on increasing the production of pork on an industrial base. To this end the construction of large pig farms has begun. In 2009 in the village of Rebrikha the first stage of pig breeding complex for 12000 pigs was launched with a plant for deep processing of primary meat products. The construction of the second stage has begun, where the industrial capacity will be doubled.
Altai Region is a region of traditionally developed horse breeding. The strategic base - stud is kept. Now the region has about 35 thousand horses.
Antlers reindeer breeding of Altai Region includes breeding of marals and axis deer. 30 households of six mountainous regions of Altai Region, where reindeer breeding and maral breeding has developed, have over 26 thousand marals and deer. Products are exported to regions of Russia and abroad.
Beekeeping is mostly developed in south-western areas of forest and steppe zones, and in the foothills. Every year the region produces about 6 thousand tons of marketable honey. Bee products are scarce raw in the pharmaceutical industry.
Altai Region with more than 17 thousand rivers and 13000 lakes has favorable conditions for development of natural and artificial fish breeding.
Altai Region has favorable climatic conditions, considerable industrial and human capacities, and in connection with that has exceptional opportunities for further sustainable development of agricultural production. The key vector of agriculture development in the region is initiated by the Governor of Altai Region Alexander Karlin the project “Integrated Development of Altai Ob Area”, in which it is proposed to assign to Altai Region the status of especially important agricultural area of Russia.