There are much more seed potatoes in Russia from year to year. The number of seed farms that want and grow such a product is increasing in the country. Therefore, in the next couple of years, Russia will almost completely switch to its own potato seeds. This was stated in an interview with Radio 1 by Vladislav Korochkin, chairman of the Moscow regional branch of the All-Russian public organization of small and medium-sized businesses “Opora Rossii”.
“This is quite a profitable business. Decent money is now being invested there, even in non-state programs – private capital. Because this business is eternal, and it will not go anywhere,” Korochkin said.
Speaking about sugar beets, the Radio 1 interlocutor pointed out that the main problem in their own production is the availability of high-quality hybrids – those that provide a high return on each square meter and hectare.
“Why did they conquer the market? Because the varieties turned out to be an order of magnitude more effective than those that were in the Soviet Union. You can return them, but the yield will drop sharply. Based on the new hybrids, I cannot assess how well they meet the standards our farmers are accustomed to,” Korochkin said.
Answering the question how, against the backdrop of sanctions against Russia, our country will solve the issue of breeding and seed production, the speaker said:
“There are enough seeds. The world is big. There are many breeding companies, they are not only European and Anglo-Saxon, but there are quite a lot of them in Southeast Asia and in the countries of America. In general, I don’t see any problems with substitutions.”
Another thing, Korochkin added, is that there are separate categories of crops designed for specific technologies. For example, light culture is the year-round cultivation of tomatoes or cucumbers in glass greenhouses.
“There are no such hybrids in Russia at all. They are handled by almost the only company in the world that delivers to manufacturers in different countries, ”concluded the interlocutor of Radio 1.
Earlier, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Council of Legislators of the Russian Federation, an issue was discussed on current problems and prospects for the development of breeding and seed production in Russia. Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Grigory Gurov said that the creation of competitive hybrid varieties of domestic selection is possible only if the relevant ministries and departments combine their efforts. In addition, fundamental research in the field of genetics, molecular biology, bioinformatics and biotechnology is required.
Commenting on this, Vice Speaker of the State Duma, Deputy Co-Chair of the Council of Legislators Irina Yarovaya, drew attention to the fact that the department does not understand its key role in the development of seed production. In her opinion, he should collect all the scientific potential, analyze it and determine exactly where it is necessary to invest efforts and resources in order to bring specific varieties to perfection.
