Most Russians share strong connection to land – survey

The vast majority of people in Russia are familiar with farming and share a strong affinity for the soil, the country's leading agricultural lender Rosselkozbank revealed on Sunday.   

The bank conducted a survey at the beginning of September and responses from more than a thousand people were tallied.   

The results show 85% of Russians have harvested crops at least once, while 15% of respondents said they have never done so, but would like to have such an experience.   

More than 60% of those polled grow food on their own land or family plots and another 23.7% said they were professionally involved in agriculture, according to Rosselkhozbank.   

"To have your own plot of land where you can grow plants and deal with seedlings is not only useful, but also enjoyable," a number of the respondents said. 

The researchers who conducted the survey suggest that Russians have a genetic "love of the soil" as most city dwellers originate from rural areas in their first or second generations.   

In recent years, many people in Russia have become more conscious about their diet and eating healthy food, and their interest in natural products is growing constantly, the report concluded.   

Russia is almost completely self-sufficient when it comes to food production and has a large share of the global agriculture market, according to Rosselkozbank. Last year, the country accounted for over a third of total food exports, with cereals being its most exported agricultural commodity, data shows.

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