Russia: Samara breeder Agrostar registers Dzhuliya and Alva potato varieties as region targets 75% domestic seeds by 2030
Two more varieties, Geliya and Skif, were submitted for state registration in 2025, while domestic seed coverage for potatoes and other import-dependent crops stands at only around 36%, Samara agriculture minister Alexey Popov said.
Samara-based breeding company Agrostar has registered two potato varieties, Dzhuliya and Alva, in Russia’s State Register of Breeding Achievements over the past three years and submitted two more, Geliya and Skif, for registration in 2025, Alexey Popov, deputy chairman of the Samara regional government and minister of agriculture and food, said in an interview with Volga News published on 5 October 2026.
Popov said private agribusiness entering breeding through comprehensive scientific and technical projects (KNTP), under which the state reimburses up to 50% of costs, is “the most important trend of recent years.” “Business understands that its own genetics is a matter of survival and is starting to invest in it directly, rather than simply buying ready-made material,” he said.
For potatoes, the region relies on domestic players including GK Samarskie Ovoshchi, Agrostar, Molyanov Agro Grupp and the Tsirulev farm, while also bringing in seed material from other regions. Popov acknowledged that dependence on imports remains the key weak spot: domestic seeds covered only around 36% of plantings in 2025 for crops such as potatoes, corn and sunflower. The strategic goal is technological sovereignty in seed production with a target of at least 75% domestic seeds by 2030.
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Alva is a mid-early variety intended for French fries and chips production, according to the breeder, Molyanov Agro Grupp. Dzhuliya, an early table variety, has been in the State Register since 2023.
Sources: Volga News interview with Samara agriculture minister Alexey Popov, 5 October 2026 (volga.news/article/806424.html); Molyanov Agro Grupp (molianov.ru); Volga News, 25 September 2025 (volga.news/article/766425.html).
