Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin awarded the Medal of Honor to the region’s Minister of Agriculture Ivan Feklin after the Russian Federation President Dmitriy Medvedev signed an order to this extent to reward the Minister for his work achievements and longstanding conscientious service.

Ivan Feklin has been the Minister of Agriculture for three years now. His strategy is based on the unified state policy aimed at the agribusiness’s development and providing the region’s dwellers with good quality foods. The ministry keeps working on the farms’ technical upgrading and introduction of new crop production technologies on 2 million hectares of cultivated land.

Chelyabinsk Region was able to raise its milk output by 12% in just two years, its meat production increased by 28.5%, while its poultry production doubled and reached 104,000 tons. What is more, the region is concentrating on beef husbandry through running nine pedigree cattle farms.

Thanks to the ministry’s support, agricultural fairs are held in Chelyabinsk on a quarterly basis, so the local farmers can exhibit their foods. The Minister also takes part in the presentations on the region’s agricultural achievement and the All-Russian fair known as the Golden Fall. This year, the regional representatives have won 34 various medals, including 18 gold ones.