During the meeting of the Association of Independent Russian Seed Companies, held at the end of last week, current issues in the agricultural industry were discussed.
Representatives of the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, the Federal Antimonopoly Service, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation were invited to participate in the event. Heads of breeding and seed-growing companies and industry professional associations joined the work of the meeting.
In his speech, the director of the Department of Selection and Seed Production of the Agrarian Department, Ivan Muzalev, recalled that for a long time most of the seed material was supplied to the domestic market from abroad. But against the backdrop of growing production of Russian products, the situation is changing, and today about 75% of agricultural seeds in our country are domestic.
During the discussion of the agenda, the speakers noted that in the new season a number of problems associated with the acquisition of domestic seeds remained unresolved. For example, there are difficulties with their labeling, so farmers are faced with a shortage of Russian goods.
Speaking about the development of vegetable growing, the meeting participants noted the significant contribution of private gardeners to the development of this area. Private farms account for a significant amount of vegetables grown in Russia. The most popular crops among the population are considered to be the components of the borscht set, including potatoes.
Particular attention in the event program was paid to plans related to the digitalization of the industry. According to experts, the use of modern technologies will make it possible to obtain a clear history of the origin of seeds and monitor indicators of their naturalness, germination and productivity.
The agenda of the meeting also included issues of improving the legislative framework, licensing and control and supervisory activities. There was also talk about the prospects for the development of seed production of individual crops.
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