The Minister of Agriculture and Food of Dagestan Mukhtarbiy Adzhekov has pointed out the importance of rice as the main spring grain crop in the republic. As to the top official, over the past four years, the area under rice production has increased by almost one-third and now amounts to 34.7 thousand hectares.

The increase has been achieved thanks to support from both the federal and republican state bodies, including funds for the reconstruction and construction of rice fields, hydro-melioration works, insurance, the production of elite seeds and the construction of rice-processing facilities.

Most rice is grown in Kizlyar municipal district, accounting for 54% of the total, followed by Tarumovsky and Babayurtovsky municipal districts. This year's expected gross rice harvest is 165 thousand tons, exceeding last year's figures.