The Ministry of Industry and Trade predicts a fourfold increase in the production of light industry products for itsMOSCOW, February 28.
/tass/. Sanctions against the Russian Federation and the mass withdrawal of Western companies from the country last year did not lead to the collapse of Russian industry: as follows from the data of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the volume of industrial production decreased by only 0.6%, although a drop of 1.8% was expected.
This year, the agency predicts, some industries are expecting serious growth - for example, the volume of production of light industry goods for the needs of the military will immediately quadruple.
TASS found out how the country's enterprises feel the effects of sanctions and find sources of growth in a special military operation.
Expectation and reality
In autumn, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation predicted a drop in industrial production in the country by 1.8% by the end of 2022 and a return to positive dynamics starting in 2024. Mining and manufacturing industries suffered the most against the background of sanctions and the need to rebuild logistics chains.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade notes that the results were better than expected - industrial production decreased by only 0.6%. "At the same time, the dynamics for the year was heterogeneous - recovery growth was observed in the second half of the year due to the impact of anti-crisis measures on the economy," the ministry stressed.
The department also drew attention to the fact that logistics was the key negative factor: "This is also confirmed by the fact that growth was observed in industries focused on the domestic consumer (medicines and materials used for medical purposes; clothing; computers, electronic and optical products, furniture, etc.)." In general, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian industry has demonstrated "good results and sustainability."
According to Rosstat, among the manufacturing industries, in particular, the production of metal products (except machinery and equipment) increased, the volume of which increased by 7%, and the production of clothing (plus 2.1%). Positive statistics are also noted in the State Duma. "Among the pleasant surprises, the growth was shown by light industry, as well as the radio-electronic industry and pharmaceuticals," Vladimir Gutenev, head of the Duma Committee on Industry and Trade, told TASS.
This is partly due to the needs of a special military operation - in the Ivanovo region, where almost half of the workwear in the country was produced last year, the output of dual-use and special-purpose products doubled at individual enterprises. According to the deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Oleg Bocharov, the region has become one of the leaders in solving the main problem of the second half of 2022 - in providing the Russian army with clothing.
Additional shifts and new products
The growth of the state defense order, according to Gutenev, did not require the expansion of production from civil sector companies, including those producing individual components. Instead, defense companies have increased the number of shifts, used more capacity and increased the specific output.
This is confirmed by the example of the Tula region - one of the key regions in the military-industrial complex. Local enterprises have coped with the growth in the production of special and dual-use products by attracting "daughters", including from small and medium-sized businesses. In the Kirov region, where the volume of production for the defense industry has grown almost one and a half times, cooperation with third-party small and medium-sized companies was "insignificant," the regional Ministry of Industry and Trade said.
In St. Petersburg, which by the end of 2022 showed an increase in industrial production by 3.9%, they also do not see the reorientation of factories for military needs. "There are a number of enterprises that have reloaded due to the execution of defense orders," said Kirill Soloveitchik, chairman of the city committee on Industrial Policy, Innovation and Trade.
At the same time, in other regions, civilian companies are involved in the production of products in demand during the military operation. For example, in the Stavropol Territory, the number of enterprises working in the interests of the "defense industry" has increased by an order of magnitude over the year - from 4 to 42.
Many companies in the regions are reorienting their production for defense needs: Volgograd "Stereotech", which is engaged in 3D and 5D printers and manufacturing parts with their help, has established the production of hemostatic harnesses, and Yakut "Hotu Tent" (produces tents and awnings) offered the military a transformer cape "Chompo" made of a material that hides from thermal imagers. "Chompo" replaces a large number of items, it's six in one: a jacket, a sleeping bag, a canopy, a couch, a regular blanket and, in case of injury, a carrier," explained the head of the Hotu Tent military direction, inventor Duolan Andreev.
Growth prospects
According to Gutenev, the Russian industry will grow by 3.5-4% this year, "no matter how optimistic it may sound." The MP considers optimism justified, including the example of last year, when "the figures were much more pessimistic," but "the realities exceeded expectations."
In particular, the authorities expect a breakthrough from the light industry, which in 2022 actively joined the production of products for military needs. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, about 500 enterprises of the industry were involved at different levels of cooperation, and in 2023 the volume of output for defense orders in this area will increase fourfold. "The conditions of the increased order in 2023 require an additional expansion of the involved capacities of the Russian industry and the corresponding raw material supply at the expense of domestic resources. It should be noted that in 2023, growth is expected to be at least four times compared to 2021-2022," the ministry said.
