Agricultural producers in Kurgan region expect in 2018 to buy new equipment for 3 billion rubles, which is 50% more compared to last year, told TASS on Thursday the first Deputy Governor of Kurgan region Sergey Pugin.

"In [2017] year, we have about 2 billion farmers [have spent their funds for] the purchase of equipment. And this year, I think we will reach 3 billion, because we have a very good harvest, we have very good financial results from agricultural producers", - he said.

He noted that the authorities of the region have agricultural producers of different types of support, subsidize the costs for investors who invest in agriculture. Manufacturers that promote their production, granted tax exemptions. Also there is a mechanism of preferential investment crediting of this sphere.

Pugin said that in addition to the Federal program that allows agricultural producers to purchase domestic equipment at a discount of 15%, the region has direct agreements with equipment manufacturers, making the total discount on the purchase of equipment for agricultural producers of up to 25%.

Previously TASS reported that a large part of agricultural machinery in Kurgan region has life of 10 years and above. Obsolete almost 82% of tractors and more than 52% of the harvesters. According to experts of the regional Department of agriculture, in connection with this stretched sowing and harvesting campaign, agrarians largely dependent on weather factors. Thus in 2017, the region collected record for the last six years, the harvest of over 2.2 million tons of grain in initial weight.

Kurgan oblast was among the 13 regions, which Russia's agriculture Ministry plans to subsidize the export rail transportation. By the summer, the region hopes to export and implement about 320 thousand tons of grain.