193 



Statement of 



Dr. Craig L. Infanger 



Resident Agricultural Policy Advisor 



Russian Federation Ministry of Agriculture 



to the Subcommittee on Foreign Agriculture and Hunger 



U.S. House of Representatives! 



March 31, 1993 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, for the last five months 1 

 have been the Resident Agricultural Policy Advisor to the Russian Federation. I am 

 there as a direct response of the USDA to a request from the Russian Minister of 

 Agriculture, Victor N. Khiystun. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and 

 Extension Service (ES) are the agencies providing the administrative support. Although 

 this advisory position is funded by USDA, all of the comments which follow are my 

 personal observations about the situation in Russia. 



While there are dozens of western advisors in Russia, I think I am the only one 

 with a broadbased concern for market reform in agriculture and food policy. I would 

 want the Members to know I have been warmly welcomed by the by the Minister and 

 his immediate staff, treated with the utmost respect, and given every reason to feel 

 that my presence is beneficial. I am officed in the Ministry of Agriculture very near the 

 Minister and his top aides. In the past few weeks I have been able to establish a 

 pragmatic relationship with Minister Khiystun and his top aides. These are reform- 

 minded leaders dedicated to fundamental agricultural reform. 



In large measure, I have discovered the importance and role of free markets 

 and private property in agriculture are well understood by the Minister and his closest 



