"The Far East is discovering its potential step by step"
The Far East is increasing its capacity for the extraction and processing of aquatic biological resources — in recent years alone, 19 factories and 40 fishing vessels have been built there, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said in an interview with Izvestia. According to him, new enterprises are forming an entire territorial economy around themselves, creating thousands of new jobs. Funds are also being invested in the development of agriculture, and about 26 billion rubles have been allocated to projects in the Far Eastern Federal District under the state program "Integrated Rural Development". Dmitry Patrushev told Izvestia in an interview on the eve of the Eastern Economic Forum how this affected the lives of ordinary Far Easterners, what benefits and incentive measures are used to develop the region's economy and how the structure of fish exports is changing for the better.
"One school will not solve all the issues. The territory should be developed comprehensively"
— Dmitry Nikolaevich, this year the theme of the Eastern Economic Forum is "The Far East — development for the benefit of people." In this regard, how, for example, are the rural territories of the district being transformed, because a significant part of the population lives in them?
— Development for the benefit of people is generally a key principle of any transformation. This includes those areas of work that are included in the state program for the renewal of rural areas.
But the modern look of the village is not about individual construction projects or one—time events. We are talking about systematic work to create comfortable living conditions for people who comprehensively take into account their needs in various fields — medicine, education, culture, and sports. The desired effect cannot be achieved through a single project. A separate school or clinic will not cover all issues. Therefore, all federal agencies that implement activities in rural areas in one way or another need to work in unison, synchronizing their plans. Then the territory will develop comprehensively and will really be attractive to people. We are focusing on this now.
Rural territories and agglomerations of the Far East account for almost 3.5 million people. Many projects have been implemented here over the years, and most of them were initiated by residents.
In total, approximately 26 billion rubles have been allocated for projects in the Far Eastern Federal District under the state program "Integrated Rural Development", taking into account 2026. These are new homes for almost 6 thousand families, more than 1 thousand landscaped public spaces, over 300 renovated social, engineering and transport infrastructure facilities.
Updating the appearance of rural areas has two more important effects. Firstly, due to the implemented projects, employment is growing, and consequently, incomes of the population. 16,000 new jobs have been created in the Far East alone during the implementation of the state program.
And secondly, positive changes in rural areas provide an incentive for the development of the entire agro-industrial complex, because industry workers mainly live there. That is, they have a direct connection with ensuring food security. Therefore, the events will definitely continue.
— You mentioned the development of the agro-industrial complex. What is the situation in the agro-industrial complex of the Far Eastern Federal District?
— It is clear that agriculture in this district has its own special vector of development. Nevertheless, the industry is of strategic importance for the economy of the Far Eastern Federal District. In recent years, we have developed a set of incentive measures that allow us to increase our performance, and the Far East is gradually unlocking its potential in the agro-industrial complex.
Thus, in a number of areas, there are increasing coefficients for the allocation of funds. There are measures to support the production and sale of agricultural products. We subsidize the transportation of products and logistical resources. It is also for the Far Eastern Federal District that there are preferential investment loans in areas that are of fundamental importance, for example, the development of aquaculture.
If we talk about the impact of all these mechanisms in terms of directions, we see the preservation of positive production dynamics in animal husbandry. In the first half of 2026 alone, the increase was 12%. New capacities are emerging, and with them jobs. As an example, I will cite the Amur region, where three modern dairy complexes have been created over the past couple of years.
Crop production in the Far East is, of course, a very difficult field due to the specific climate. Nevertheless, there are niches here where the Far Eastern Federal District traditionally holds leadership positions. As you know, the Amur region is our main producer of soybeans. By the end of last year, about a fifth of the total volume was harvested there — 1.7 million tons, and this is a record for the region.
Grain production in the district is lower, but forecasts are good this year because yields are higher than a year ago.
Separately, I would like to say that together with the regions of the district, we are constantly working to improve the efficiency of agricultural land use.
In addition, a big task for the Far Eastern Federal District is to increase the availability of its own vegetable products. Concessional loans are also provided for this purpose. There is also the possibility of partial cost recovery for greenhouse complexes, for which about 700 million rubles have been allocated since 2022. Several facilities have appeared in Kamchatka, the Magadan Region, and the Primorsky Territory. The largest regional project is currently under implementation in Buryatia. We are still in the process of solving the problem, but as you can see, the work is underway. And I think that quite a big step forward has already been made in this direction.
"More than 40 fishing vessels have been built for the Far Eastern basin"
— Speaking of the Far East, we primarily think about the proximity to the Pacific Ocean and, accordingly, about its riches — fish and seafood. What can we say about the development of this area?
Indeed, the Far Eastern region has been and remains a leader in this field, accounting for more than 70% of the catch of Russian fish products. The dynamics of catch today is generally at the level of last year — the volume of production has already exceeded 2.6 million tons.
By the way, I would like to note that the situation in the herring fishery is higher than expected this year. Pollock and crab are also being successfully harvested. And I would like to emphasize that our fish production volumes fully meet the needs of the domestic market and allow us to fulfill export tasks.
At the same time, we are steadily increasing our capacity for the extraction and processing of aquatic biological resources. Under the keel quotas program, more than 40 fishing vessels have been built for the Far Eastern Basin, as well as 19 modern fish processing plants. 42 more vessels for the Far East, as well as four logistics complexes, are currently under implementation. That is, the groundwork for the future is still very big!
I'll tell you about the factories separately. During their construction, the specifics of loading must be taken into account. So, one of the main types of fishing in the Far East is pollock. The appearance of large factories makes it possible, instead of extracting mainly raw materials, to increase the production of fillets, minced meat and other products of higher processing. At the same time, small-capacity enterprises that work more flexibly with local and multi-species raw materials make it possible to develop processing directly in the coastal zone.
Of course, new enterprises are forming a whole territorial economy around themselves. For example, the Ozersky complex on Sakhalin, commissioned in 2025, has created 250 jobs. At the same time, the port infrastructure was reconstructed during its construction.
— And how is the situation with the export of agricultural products developing here?
— The Far East is an important export gateway for the country, including for agricultural products. Our shipments abroad from the Far Eastern Federal District in physical weight have increased by almost a third this year, and in money by 37% (relative to the same period of the previous year. — Ed.).
The key export markets for the Far East are primarily China, as well as individual countries in East and Southeast Asia. We see that exports of vegetable oils, flour and cereals, and chocolate confectionery products are growing.
But, of course, fish and seafood are at the heart of trade here. In 2025, the volume of supplies in this segment from the Far Eastern Federal District regions exceeded 1.6 million tons, which is almost 80% of all fish exports. Revenue increased by 20%. At the same time, we are now focusing on increasing the supply of fish products with high added value, such as fillets and fish meal. The construction of modern fish processing plants, which I mentioned, plays an important role here.
"The new dam in Komsomolsk-on-Amur will protect about 200 thousand people"
— As for the issues of environmental well-being: which areas are considered priorities for the Far Eastern Federal District regions?
— Here, in one way or another, absolutely all areas included in the national project "Environmental well-being" are being implemented. Accumulated environmental damage facilities are being eliminated, waterways are being improved, and waste management facilities are being built.
Nevertheless, I would single out a significant block for the Far East related to the disposal of wrecks within the framework of the federal project "General Cleaning". Actually, such a task appeared for this region several years ago. These facilities hinder navigation, pollute the ecosystem and create difficulties for the development of coastal areas. Over 220 vessels have already been liquidated in a few years.
But not everything is done yet. Just recently, in August, the next projects were launched in the waters of the Far East. This year, it is planned to raise 17 wrecks in the Kamchatka and Primorsky Territories, in Chukotka, in the Magadan and Sakhalin regions, as well as in Yakutia.
In addition, I would like to note that the rivers of the Far East are distinguished by their harsh and unpredictable nature, so the most important area of our work is protection from possible floods.
Most recently, the construction of a dam was completed in the Khabarovsk Territory, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The work was carried out for more than one year, it took place in three stages. And almost 9 billion rubles have been allocated from the federal budget for these purposes alone. The total length of the structures was about 28 km. This dam is aimed at protecting the territory where about 200 thousand people live, as well as economic and social facilities.
— You are actively promoting the development of eco-tourism. The Far East is famous for its amazing diverse nature. Is it possible not to disrupt the ecosystem and provide an opportunity for people to visit these unique places in comfort?
— The Far East is an amazing place. I have not yet met a man who would remain indifferent to his beauty. Today, we are really trying to create conditions on a systematic basis so that people can see the stunning landscapes of our country with their own eyes without disturbing the balance of ecosystems.
There are about 70 specially protected natural territories of federal importance in the Far Eastern Federal District. They occupy almost half of the total area of such protected areas (federal significance. — Ed.). And by the end of 2025, they were visited by more than half a million people.
Participants of the 10 km marathon swim "Amur Bay 2026" in Vladivostok
Each location is very special and unique. Protected areas are looking for their own highlight to attract vacationers. For example, in the national park "Land of the Leopard" in Primorye, a protected race with views of the Amur Bay is held annually. And in the Kamchatka Territory, on the initiative of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, an ecological festival "Sea of Life" is being held, dedicated to the conservation of marine mammals. I am sure that every guest of these and other events will have a lot of pleasant impressions.
We support the creation of infrastructure for a comfortable stay of people, special routes, ecological trails, and visitor centers are being worked out. But here it is important to add that everything is done carefully and carefully. National parks develop plans for their recreational activities, that is, they determine how and where to receive guests so as not to harm nature.
I am sure that over the years the popularity of ecotourism will only grow.
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