Penza, 17 March 2016. PenzaNews. An investment project for growing industrial hemp and constructing a hemp processing plant in the Nizhny Lomov area of the Penza region became the main topic of the meeting between the governor Ivan Belozertsev and a group of investors from Moscow held in the regional government hall on Thursday, March 17.

Photo: Pnzreg.ru

The project aims to sow around 500-700 hectares of industrial hemp, and increase this figure up to 3,000-4,000 hectares by 2017.

The initial investment of 150 million rubles will provide for a 3-year project with 30 new jobs.

“This is a good idea, it can be implemented on the Penza land. We are ready to provide you support to develop this direction,” Ivan Belozertsev pointed out.

He proposed to use the capabilities of Penza enterprises to produce natural plant oils, and offered support during the initial period.

“But there is one condition: your enterprise must be registered in the Nizhny Lomov area. It is important for us to see taxes from your production facility to go to the local budget,” the governor stressed.

Ivan Belozertsev instructed the deputy chairman of the regional government Andrei Luzgin and the head of the Nizhny Lomov area administration head Nikolai Urakcheev to provide assistance during the initial part of the investment project.

“Form a land plot from them from the reserve land pool that we planned to involve in harvest, draft up a rent agreement. If the project gets implemented successfully, we will be considering expansion of the plantation area and potential tax preferences that will allow your production to improve its standing in the region,” the press service of the Penza region government quotes the governor.