Mishustin Urged to Make Seed Breeding and Production a Priority

Prime Minister Mishustin said that the issues of seed breeding and production must become a priority
«Seed production and breeding in agriculture must now become a priority, as was the case with import substitution of vegetables,» said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during his visit to Agrocultura Group, a greenhouse farm in Kashira, near Moscow.
He recalled that when the first sanctions were imposed on Russia in 2014, the Government developed a special program that made it possible to almost double the domestic vegetable production.
«It has been growing from year to year. But, of course, in addition to increasing the output, breeding and seed production are also very important. Now we must pay equal attention to this area,» said Mishustin.
The Prime Minister was shown greenhouses with cucumbers and tomatoes at the farm. He examined them and asked the managers whether these varieties were of Russian origin. They answered that the major agricultural varieties were imported, but Russian developments were under testing.
Earlier, Mishustin said that in the face of external sanctions pressure Russia needs to develop its own agribusiness as much as possible — «from seeds, veterinary drugs and pedigree materials to agricultural machinery and food processing equipment.»
Source: ria.ru