Russia cuts seed imports almost 60% in 2024 - Rosselkhoznadzor

MOSCOW. Dec 25 (Interfax) - Russia has imported 29,800 tonnes of seeds in 2024 as of December 15, down almost 60% compared to the same period last year when the figure stood at 73,200 tonnes, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) said.

Imports of potato seeds fell 93.1% to 770 tonnes, barely seeds 84.5% to 196 tonnes, corn seeds 80.4% to 3,400 tonnes, onion seeds 76.2% to 1,400 tonnes, soybean seeds 74.3% to 174 tonnes, wheat seeds 68.8% to 341 tonnes, rapeseed seeds 68.1% to 1,500 tonnes, vegetable seeds 56.7% to 332 tonnes and sunflower seeds 50.6% to 7,500 tonnes.

Supplies of planting material rose 6.9% to 753.2 million units.

As reported, Russia introduced quotas for seed imports from non-friendly countries in 2024 totaling 34,000 tonnes. The quota for potato seed imports was set at 16,000 tonnes, for barley seeds at 600 tonnes, for corn seeds at 5,000 tonnes including waxy corn seeds at 600 tonnes, for rapeseed seeds (hybrids) at 2,000 tonnes, for sunflower seeds (hybrids) at 7,500 tonnes and for sugar beet seeds (hybrids) at 2,000 tonnes (later increased to 2,900 tonnes).

The quota sizes were calculated by the Agriculture Ministry based on the requirements of Russian seed producers, taking into account the balance of domestic production, imports and exports of seeds. Seed quotas will be applied in 2025 as well.

Rosselkhoznadzor this year prevented the import of seed and planting material contaminated with dangerous quarantine pests such as strawberry anthracnose, blueberry viscous rot, common and perennial ragweed, creeping thistle, rice bacterial blight, western (Californian) flower thrips, pear decline phytoplasma and others, it said. Due to the detection of quarantine pests, imports of seed and planting material from six foreign nurseries in France, Italy, China, Hungary, Turkey and Chile were banned.

Since the beginning of the year, Rosselkhoznadzor has monitored imports of more than 8.3 million tonnes of quarantine-regulated products (excluding grain and its derivatives), over 2.5 billion items of planting and floral material and 29,800 tonnes of seed material. As a result of inspection procedures, 48 types of Russian quarantine pests were identified in 5,146 cases. All contaminated shipments were prohibited from entering the country.