The Ministry of Agriculture announced the beginning of the formation of a mechanism for the fund to support inventions and innovations in agriculture, which, like Skolkovo and Rusnano, will finance projects in the agricultural sector. It is expected that the Fund for the Development of Innovations in the Agroindustrial Complex will begin its work in two to three years and will help expand the use of Russian equipment and seeds in the agro-industrial complex.
"The Fund will be involved, in particular, in solving the problems that are defined in the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture until 2025," the press service of the department noted. The press secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Yana Perepechaeva explained to Izvestia that the ministry has not yet decided how exactly the funds of the Fund will be allocated. The Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture until 2025 was approved in 2017. It involves the development of new varieties of plants and animal breeds, as well as the development of equipment for the production of agricultural products and for quality control. 2025 billion rubles will be allocated for the implementation of the program until 29.
At the same time, the Fund for the Development of Innovations in the Agro-Industrial Complex will not only support developments within the scientific and technical program, but also finance other inventions for the needs of agriculture. The Russian Academy of Sciences told the publication that the Russian Academy of Sciences is also participating in the discussion of the strategy for the new fund, and said that investors' money will also be attracted to financing. According to scientists, money will be allocated, in particular, for the development of new varieties of plants and the cultivation of planting material. Agrarian expert, vice-president of the Association of Peasant Farms Olga Bashmachnikova told Izvestia that business is ready to invest in the agricultural sector.
However, for the successful functioning of the Innovation Fund in the agro-industrial complex, it is necessary to coordinate the work of scientists, the Ministry of Agriculture and entrepreneurs. “Abroad, for example, in the USA and European countries, business and science cooperate without any assistance or approval of departments. In our country, the Ministry of Agriculture will act as an appraiser of developments. The ministry will make a decision on what can be allowed into production and what is not, ”Olga Bashmachnikova explained to Izvestia. According to the State Variety Commission, subordinate to the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2017, only 1178 new plant varieties were registered. At the same time, in 2016, this figure reached 1411 varieties. The creation of the Fund for the Development of Innovations in the Agro-Industrial Complex should help increase these indicators.
Based on: https://fruitnews.ru