Since Putin came to power, Russia has undertaken various reforms and achieved significant accomplishments.
Besides rapid progress in military, energy, and chemical sectors, advancements in agriculture have been particularly noteworthy.
At the "Russia" International Exhibition and Forum's "National Achievements Forum" plenary session, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev stated that since 2000, Russian agricultural exports have increased 30-fold. This remarkable growth is a testament to Putin's successful governance.
In 2000, Russia's agricultural export value was only $1.4 billion, but by 2023, this figure had skyrocketed to $43.5 billion.
Grain exports reached 66 million tons in the 2022/2023 season, compared to just 7 million tons in the 2001/2002 season, demonstrating an astonishing growth rate.
In contrast, the situation in the former Soviet Union was dire. Starting in 1973, the Soviet Union had to import 20-40 million tons of grain annually, making it the world's largest grain importer.
By the late 1980s, the Soviet Union had to spend half of its foreign exchange earnings on purchasing grain.
After Russia launched its special military operation in 2022, many pro-Western media outlets optimistically predicted that, with Western support, the Russian military would repeat the Soviet Union's experience in Afghanistan, and domestic dissatisfaction would arise due to food shortages. However, as the Ukrainian forces continued to lose ground, Western experts gradually realized that today's Russia is more stable than the former Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union, despite leading the world in weapons production, energy, and transportation, severely underinvested in agricultural and light industrial production.
Agricultural production lagged significantly, greatly affecting the standard of living. The burden of the Afghan war exacerbated the pressure on domestic residents.
During the Afghan war, Soviet citizens faced enormous living pressures, with many having to queue for bread, and alcohol and meat consumption plummeting, leading to widespread social discontent.
Today's Russia remains strong in energy, chemicals, and military equipment, with enough grain not only to meet domestic needs but also to become the world's largest wheat producer and a major food supplier to Africa and the Middle East.
This ample food supply ensures that citizens no longer worry about basic living needs.
Abundant grain, along with sufficient meat and alcohol supplies, has stabilized the population's living conditions.
This is a significant difference between the Soviet Union during the Afghan war and today's Russia undertaking its special military operation.
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