Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called for farming regions to increase their output and make the country agriculturally self-sufficient.
Medvedev said during an August 12 visit to Pyatigorsk in Stavropol Krai that more investment needs to be directed into agriculture and animal husbandry so that Russia can end its dependence on imports.
Medvedev said a new food program for the country would be drawn up that would propose "large-scale adjustments to the current state programs for the development of agriculture."
He also said he would soon convene a meeting of the heads of Russia's leading agricultural regions.
Medvedev's comments come after Russia imposed a series of restrictions on the imports of food, mainly from Western nations that have imposed sanctions on Russia for the Kremlin's actions in Ukraine.
Medvedev also advised Russia's youth to wear clothing that features the "flag or symbols of Russia," not foreign countries.
