According to the President, Russia is now an exporter, not an importer of food.
"Ten years ago, we imported almost half of the food from abroad, and were dependent on imports. Now Russia is among the exporters. Last year, Russian exports of agricultural products amounted to almost $20 billion - a quarter more than the revenue from the sale of arms, or one-third the revenue coming from gas exports," he said.
Putin said that all this makes Russia fully capable of supplying the domestic market with home-grown food by 2020.
In September, the Kremlin decided against producing food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Russia imposed an embargo on the supply of products from the EU and the United States as a response to Western sanctions. After Turkey shot down Russian Su-24 bomber, Russian authorities decided to ban the import of fruit, vegetables and poultry from Turkey. The ban will take effect from January 1.
