Russia's dependence on imported feed for aquaculture falls 60% in past 3 years, but deficit remains - Deputy PM Patrushev

MOSCOW. April 8 (Interfax) - Russia's dependence on imported feeds for aquaculture has decreased 60% over the past three years, but feeds still remain a deficit item, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said at the annual meeting of the Federal Fisheries Agency on Tuesday.

"I would like to note that feeds are still a deficit item for us. However, it is important that the dynamics are positive. Over the past three years, we have reduced our dependence on foreign products 60%. This has been facilitated by projects implemented with government support," he said.

In 2024, five facilities were launched in the Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Kursk and Saratov regions and North Ossetia, he said. Plans are in place to launch another 10 enterprises by 2030.

The aquaculture sector needs to scale up its capacities, Patrushev said. "There is room for growth here. For example, the capacity of our market for aquaculture salmon is one and a half times higher than current production levels. The government has measures in place to support the development of this sector. Producers have access to preferential loans, government-supported insurance and compensation for costs related to the construction of feed production facilities," he said.

Issues related to genetics also need to be addressed in this area, he said. "I am talking primarily about salmon species of fish. I know that relevant projects are being developed. We expect that in the future, this will contribute to achieving technological sovereignty in the industry," Patrushev said.

As previously reported, according to the Federal Fisheries Agency aquaculture production decreased 5.3% in 2024 to 380,500 tonnes (including fish seed material). The industry was provided with domestic feeds at 25% and with fish seed material at 15%.

Fish farming enterprises should be 90% provided with domestic feeds and 80% with fish seed material by 2030, Federal Fisheries Agency head Ilya Shestakov said.

Regarding the genetic aspect, the Miratorg holding's Genomic Selection Center and the company Inarctica (a leading producer of Atlantic salmon in Russia) are implementing a project on salmon genotyping. It is expected that domestically bred Atlantic salmon may appear within four to five years.