Farmers of Kuban and Stavropol Territory accuse federal authorities of ignoring their claims

The farmers' demands are ignored by Russia's leadership, said agrarians of the Krasnodar (Kuban) and Stavropol Territories, who announced a new "tractor march" to Moscow. The farmers, who arrived in Moscow, were promised an appointment with the leadership of the Council of Federation and the President's Administration, but over three days it did not take place.

The congress of farmers of Southern Russia is scheduled for December 15 in the House of Culture of Trade Unions in Stavropol, Victor Pylyonok, the organizer of the congress and the Chairman of the Association of Peasants' (Agrarians') Farms and Agricultural Cooperatives (known as the AKKOR) of the Stavropol Territory, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, farmers plan to "start preparing for a new 'tractor march' to Moscow entitled 'Walk Along MKAD (Moscow Circular Highway)' and discuss the problems of allocation of agricultural land." According to his version, 1500 persons have already confirmed their participation in the congress.

According to Mr Pylyonok, Stavropol farmers have decided to join the new "tractor march" after on November 24 the region adopted a bill, according to which the minimum size of a new land plot allocated from agricultural lands was increased from 30 hectares up to 2500 hectares. Now, if a farmer "wants to take land shares from unscrupulous renters, he should gather 600 people, and only then he will be able to take his land back."

Farmers demand to check how subsidies for the development of farming are used, Elena Dryukova, a participant of the "tractor march", has added.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.