Who are the eggs? – Newspaper Kommersant No. 216 (7417) dated 11/22/2022

On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the launch of a breeding center for the reproduction of turkeys in the Tyumen region and in a meeting dedicated to selection and genetics, which means strengthening sovereignty in animal husbandry and poultry farming. Special Correspondent “Kommersant” Andrey Kolesnikov believes that the industry is confidently going its own way, relying on its own developments, since it has no others.

— New complex (in the Tyumen region. — A.K.) will produce extremely necessary, sought-after products – hatching eggs, – Vladimir Putin explained, – which will go directly to enterprises for subsequent poultry rearing.

One could understand that this only at first glance had nothing to do with the events in Ukraine. But of course it has. What else does he have. Without Tyumen eggs, it’s simply impossible to survive now:

“Such projects are significant and are designed to significantly strengthen our food security and independence, provide farms with domestic breeding material, and improve product quality. In the context of sanctions pressure, global food challenges – and they are very well known to everyone today – these tasks become even more urgent.

Yes, sanctions are being put under pressure, including, perhaps, most painfully on eggs, but “the decisions taken earlier to support the agro-industrial complex and industry science have worked.”

The President noted that it is critical to achieve “tangible progress and the most necessary independence in such a sensitive area as the seed and breeding fund.”

“In a year, agricultural exports should exceed $40 billion,” said Dmitry Patrushev, Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.

But there are many features. The apparent paradox is the decline in the number of cattle (cattle.— A.K.) while increasing milk production. But Dmitry Patrushev reassured: this is “a reflection of the global trend towards a shift in beef consumption towards more affordable pig and poultry products.” We are in trend. Pigs in a year became much more. Birds too.

But still, it is not entirely clear: do new technologies make it possible to extract milk from pigs and poultry?

Domestic genetics dominates in cattle breeding. The same cannot be said about poultry farming. But created “domestic cross (hybrid.— “b”) chickens “Change-9”. Already something. The thing is going on, although you have to overcome obstacles (and the chickens laugh at them). But still, houses and walls help.

Naum Babaev, head of the Damate group of companies, the Russian leader in the production of turkeys, joined by video conference, said:

“Here, in the Tyumen region, we are launching a pedigree reproducer for 12 million eggs. We have two more, in the Penza and Rostov regions. This completely covers the needs of the Russian Federation in breeding eggs.

Well, many are now exhaled. A great weight off one’s mind.

“We use artificial insemination, laparoscopic insemination,” continued Naum Babaev, “and this year we made several hundred of our own embryo transfers.

The queue to the company’s specialists is growing exponentially. Everyone goes to them with their problems.

“But it is important,” Naum Babaev stressed, “to take into account the specifics and traditions of the North Caucasus.

The fact is that the company has developed a special program for him, which looks logical in all respects.

In addition, Naum Babayev asked the president to include turkey meat in all types of public procurement, “from school and baby food to the state reserve.”

But this would not be in a hurry, even though the aspirations of the top manager are so clear. The children did not agree to consume the turkey forcibly. There is no such thing in the social contract between the president and the people. And the stew still has to be beef and pork. But maybe it’s time to abandon the conservative views in the case of canned food too.

The head of the Damate Group of Companies, Naum Babaev, and the governor of the Tyumen region, Alexander Moor, pressed the red button, which means that a new round of embryo transfers in the Tyumen region has been launched.

Governor of the Moscow Region Andrey Vorobyov said that in the summer a breeding and genetic center was founded in the region, “which will solve the problem of meat breeds of chickens … Here we were significantly dependent on America and Great Britain (thank God, only in this, and dependence is obviously falling. — A.K.). The competitive breed of our scientists is “Smena-9” (the previous eight, obviously, could not stand the competition, and they were replaced by the ninth.— A.K.)”.

“Vladimir Ivanovich Fisinin,” Andrey Vorobyov added, “who stood at the origins together with Lev Apollonovich …

“Ippolitovich,” the neighbor corrected the governor.

“Ippolitovich,” said the governor.

“Tuchemsky…” the neighbor whispered.

— Tuchemsky… They were just developing it… And today their students can implement it! finished the governor.

Dmitry Patrushev wanted to go to the Kaliningrad region, but the president asked the same neighbor who was standing next to Andrei Vorobyov, that is, Anatoly Komarov, general director of the Smena breeding and genetic center, to comment on the situation. Mr. Putin, as it turned out, was up to something.

– We have been working with domestic chicken crosses for many years, – Anatoly Komarov admitted. – First of all, with Smena-9. High performance is confirmed by production tests. The latter was carried out in the Moscow region, and the following results were obtained. The average live weight of one head of a chicken at the age of 38 days is 2 kg 893 g. The average daily gain in live weight is 75 g. Preservation is 98.5%.

Apparently, the fight takes place not only at the level of the egg. Elemental pressure. Minus 1.5%.

– Anatoly Anatolyevich, you are a professional military man, as far as I can imagine, – Vladimir Putin was really interested in that.

– Yes sir! – With relief, Anatoly Komarov switched to his native language.

How did you get into the agro-industrial complex? Mr Putin asked sympathetically.

“Half of his conscious working life,” explained Anatoly Komarov, “he served in the armed forces, then it turned out that for the last nine years he was engaged in teaching activities and at the same time worked part-time, so to speak, at a large poultry broiler complex, went through all the stages from the dispatcher broiler production to the director of the selection and genetic center.

The biography was exemplary. For the military, and not for the general director of the selection and genetic center.

– You are a rocket scientist by profession, right? – the Russian president discovered one more of his knowledge.

“Yes, I graduated from the Higher Military Command Engineering School of the Strategic Missile Forces,” Anatoly Komarov explained.

Everything here was now painted with thickening symbolism before our eyes.

Yes, the same people do everything in our country. And missiles, and chickens. So what?

– Yesterday was a holiday of artillery, rocket troops (it was on November 19. – “b”), Mr. Putin nodded. “I congratulate you, as well as all the gunners and rocket men!

And not those who launch Smena-9 into orbit. Anatoly Komarov had this holiday on October 9 (Day of the agricultural worker.— “b”).

“Rocketmen know how to work competently, professionally, and hit the target,” the president continued. “I am sure that all your plans here will be realized.

Andrey Romanov, chairman of the board of directors of the Zalesye agro-industrial holding in the Kaliningrad region, reported that they have pedigree cattle as a commodity in their genetic center.

“This is the only complex in Russia that allows sexing,” Andrey Romanov said. “That is, semen is divided by sex.

Well, it looks like it was too much.

— Over 400,000 doses were produced in 2022. Of these, sexed – 220 thousand doses, – this sexist reported. – To date, there are 40 sires at the station with the highest index of breeding value.

But that’s not all.

“Today, the enterprises of the holding are conducting a genomic evaluation of their own heifers,” Andrey Romanov said tenderly, “in order to select potential mothers for sires.

Or even friends? Most likely, Andrei Romanov misspoke in his excitement.

He added that there are intentions to export heifers and bulls to Iran.

Ideally, in exchange for drones.