Ministries discussing setting up single fuel supply operator for agriculture similar to that in Tatarstan - source

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Russian ministries and agencies are discussing setting up a single fuel supply operator for agriculture along similar lines to that in Tatarstan.

Such instructions were issued to ministries, a source familiar with outcome of a meeting on the fuel market with Deputy Russian Prime Minister Alexander Novak, which took place last week, told Interfax.

The Energy Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry and Federal Antimonopoly Service, together with the authorities of Tatarstan and relevant bodies, need to look at the feasibility of creating a single operator for the commercial supply of petroleum products for the needs of agricultural producers. This option will need to be studied based on the experience of Tatarstan, the source said.

The internal Russian republic of Tatarstan has its own "Republican Agro-Industrial Center for Investment and Innovation," which is the operator for the formation and use of the regional food fund. The company lends to farmers, providing them with fuels and lubricants, seeds, mineral fertilizer and plant protection chemicals.