The problem of providing Russia with its own seeds

The Ministry of Agriculture has warned Western suppliers about the preparation of quotas for seed imports, since the measures being implemented to support domestic seed growers remain insufficient.

This was stated on February 16 by Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Agrarian Food Policy and Environmental Management Sergei Mitin at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Council under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

According to the website of the Federation Council, the issues of creating selection and seed production and selection and breeding centers were considered. “Breeding and seed production are a critical sector of the agro-industrial complex, which largely determines the country’s food security,” Sergey Mitin said.

According to him, in fact, only three subprograms are funded and implemented, six subprograms have been approved, but not funded, and six more are under approval.

In 2021–2022 organizations subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science have already purchased about 500 units of specialized equipment. In addition, within the framework of the national project “Science and Universities”, since 2021, state support has been provided for 32 selection and seed production and 3 selection and breeding centers. In 2023, grants in the amount of more than 1 billion rubles are provided for their development, in 2024 – more than 600 million rubles.

Sergei Mitin noted that despite the growth in the production of seeds of higher reproductions, the increase in the sown areas of breeding centers, the problem of providing Russia with its own seeds remains critical. In 2022, the share of domestic seeds in the total sowing amounted to three percent for sugar beet, about nine percent for potatoes, and 22 percent for sunflower.

“This indicates the insufficient effectiveness of the implemented state measures to support domestic seed growers, the lack of proper demand for Russian seeds from farmers,” the senator said.

“It is important not only to breed and grow seeds of higher reproductions, but most importantly, to do this in accordance with market demands, ensuring world-class quality,” Sergey Mitin is sure.

During the meeting, it was noted that nine scientific organizations that are developing domestic varieties and hybrids of strategically important agricultural crops have been transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture. There are already positive developments.

Interfax reports that the Ministry of Agriculture proposes to introduce quotas for the import of seeds of nine agricultural crops in 2024. The size of quotas will gradually decrease.

The draft government decree provides for restrictions on the import of seeds of potatoes, wheat, rye, barley, corn, soybeans, rapeseed, sunflower and sugar beet for the period from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 inclusive.

Sergei Mitin supported the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture.

“The decision to gradually, without harm to the industry, to limit seed imports and stimulate the transition to Russian breeding through state support tools seems to be absolutely correct. The Federation Council, for its part, will provide all necessary assistance,” he told reporters following a meeting of the interdepartmental council under the Ministry of Education and Science. (Quoted by Interfax)

The fact that the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing proposals to restrict the import of seeds was known earlier.

“We are working and will now go to the customs and tariff commission to approve quotas for the import of foreign seeds. Together with our business, together with research institutes, with science, we need to be engaged in the production of our own forms, and we will do this, ”said the Ministry of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev on January 24. (Quoted by RIA Novosti)

Patrushev stressed that the Russian agro-industrial complex is extremely vulnerable in such a situation, and therefore the ministry will take certain actions that will encourage both foreigners and our producers to still import parent forms.

Last year, on June 15, at the peak of the untwisting of sanctions measures, Belan Khamchiev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Agrarian-Food Policy and Environmental Management, held a meeting of the presidium and section “Breeding and seed production” of the Expert Council under the Federation Council Committee.

“New varieties of seeds should be not only in scientific laboratories, but, first of all, in the fields,” said Belan Khamchiev.

He recalled that the Chairman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, in December last year, at a plenary meeting of the chamber, when considering the Federal Law “On Seed Production”, drew attention to the unsatisfactory results of the implementation of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture for 2017–2025. (FSTP) in the field of domestic breeding and seed production of agricultural crops in a number of import-dependent areas, in particular, potatoes, sugar beets, corn, oilseeds (soybeans, sunflower, rapeseed). It was also pointed to the low levels of the established indicators of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program, the need to increase them in order to quickly achieve the indicator of the Doctrine of Food Security of the Russian Federation on self-sufficiency in seeds of major agricultural crops by 75 percent.

“In the current situation associated with sanctions pressure on our country, the solution of the problem of providing agricultural producers with seeds of agricultural crops, primarily domestic selection and grown on Russian territory, for sowing work in the current and subsequent years, is of particular relevance,” Khamchiev emphasized.

The Ministry of Agriculture informed about the 100% availability of seeds of domestic selection. However, there are risks. For potatoes, domestic seeds have declined. There is an increase in the share of imports.

It is necessary to revise the FSTP program so that we not only provide for ourselves by 75%, but also conquer international markets.

Mayorov proposes to train agronomists with an eye on the seeds of domestic selection. Educational institutions must draw their own conclusions.

“We have adopted two programs, and they made revolutions,” Mayorov said. The business is trying to use imported seeds. Business and science exist in different directions. Domestic seed producers do not provide packaged solutions. Domestic enterprises give only seeds and do not accompany what chemicals and fertilizers need to be applied.

Director of the Department of Crop Production, Mechanization, Chemicalization and Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture Roman Nekrasov said, “We have simplified the import of seeds as much as possible.” The suppliers fulfilled all their obligations, and the seeds arrived in full. We have facilitated all registration procedures for breeding achievements as much as possible. We skipped 2022, 2023 follows, and the political situation is not getting any better.

We must focus on our strengths and internal capabilities. The first is the changes in the resolution, which regulates the creation of selection and seed-growing centers. The Ministry of Agriculture removes the upper threshold of production and thereby stimulates business to create large capacities for primary seed production. Second, the reimbursement rate is increased for breeding and seed centers, the construction of which began in 2022 and will end in 2023. To help businesses build centers that will reproduce any seeds, both domestic and foreign. About twenty items. The third point concerns greenhouse vegetables. We are moving this category into a separate one in order to stimulate the creation of selection and seed centers for greenhouse seed production. They do not fall under the criteria for open field vegetable growing. The last point also concerns primary seed production. Together with Rosagroleasing, we worked to make it possible to purchase equipment on preferential leasing terms with an increase in price of three to five percent.

Speaking about the strategy for the future, Roman Nazarov set the task of switching to domestic seed production. The FSTP on beets and potatoes has not yet yielded results, but there are already signs of progress. For sugar beet, we have created the Burya, Vulkan, RVS hybrids and they show comparable results. New varieties are emerging and advancing. Our producers will receive not just anything, but competitive varieties to ensure the country’s food security.

There are solutions to finance the FNTP to provide primary seeds.

Khamchiev noted the discrepancy. The MOA counted only three percent of domestic sugar beet seeds in crops. The Ministry of Education and Science gives a figure of 9.5% of the produced seeds. That is, domestic seeds just lie on the shelf.

Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Federation Council, is gradually moving towards the stated goal. They have no specialists in the field of agricultural genetics, mostly overtrained and undertrained economists. Personally, it seems to me that to announce prohibitive measures like “I’m going to you!” allowed not earlier than immediately before their introduction. If this is done a year in advance, a request for permission and a warning to the enemy about the necessary preparation is obtained.

If economists cannot organize the infrastructure for the reproduction of seeds, they are unsuitable for professional work. Reproduction of hybrid seeds is impossible, they can be used as primary material for breeding. Breeding should be carried out constantly, it is such an arms race against climate change and the evolution of parasites. The indicated number of breeding centers is negligible.

The vast country includes many climatic zones, and selection work should be carried out in each zone, taking into account its characteristics and diversity. From the endless discussions on selection and genetic topics, it does not follow in any way who and how works on the main activity, and not only provides some very peculiar support measures.

As far as I know, graduates of the Department of Genetics are categorically not accepted. There are no quotas here, but a complete ban.

You need to learn from Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov. He collected a collection of seeds, described the centers of origin of cultivated seed plants, built a network of breeding centers in all climatic zones of the USSR, created the theory of homologous series of hereditary variability, founded the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and promoted domestic sciences abroad.

Vavilov personally solved scientific, organizational and interpersonal issues. What he managed to do is the minimum program.

From some quotas nothing new will appear.

Belan Khamchiev believes that, taking into account the extension of the FSTP until 2030, it is necessary to revise this program taking into account the current new conditions for the functioning of the country’s economy, including adjusting its indicators in order to achieve self-sufficiency in agricultural seeds as soon as possible, as well as conquer foreign markets. “It is important for us to analyze the current situation, to outline ways to solve the existing problems in the provision of seeds and their import substitution in general for agricultural crops, including vegetables,” he said.

Lev MOSKOVKIN.

Photo by Alina Fedorova