Corteva seeds to be excluded from Russian registry

MOSCOW. March 16 (Interfax) - Russia's Agriculture Ministry plans to exclude the seeds of Corteva Agriscience, which has wound down its operations in the country, from the State Registry of Selection Achievements Approved for Use in Russia, Deputy Minister Oksana Lut said.

The ministry is also proposing new rules for foreign seed producers working in Russia, requiring complete localization of production, Lut said at parliamentary hearings in the State Duma on Wednesday.

"We have changed our policy regarding selection, because a number of [foreign] companies have behaved poorly, dishonestly. The main company that has left the market is Corteva with the Pioneer seed variety, and many used its seeds. It wound down everything, but left its varieties in the registry and is now trying to import them into our country. But it will not do this for long, because we, together with the State Commission for Testing and Protecting Selection Achievements, will probably exclude these varieties from the registry," Lut said.

"I'm speaking about this for a reason. The company deserted, turned its back on the country, so we won't work with it given such an approach, and its varieties will not be in our registry," Lut said, urging businesses not to rely on seeds from this company.

"Keep in mind, it's better not to do this. It's just that later, when they will not be [in the state registry], you won't be able to work with them. Don't count on them, they won't be available. This is our clear position, those who behaved badly toward Russia will not work on the Russian market," Lut sid.

Recalling that in February 2023 three companies - Syngenta, Bayer and Nuseed - sent letters to their customers notifying them about the suspension of seed shipments to Russia and their future exit from the market, Lut said that Syngenta later disavowed this statement. "But for now their strategy on our market is not clear, at this point we see that they are winding down their activities and it is unclear what they will do next," she said.

She also said the Agriculture Ministry plans to change the rules for how foreign seed producers work on the Russian market, requiring more localization.

"We're not opposed to working with foreign companies, but we want foreign companies to properly localize in our country. We want everything at once, from the germ plasma, to be in our country, for them to transfer technology to us, train our people. We have a good market, it's interesting to work with us. If they want to work, then we will ask them to do this. Otherwise, they will not work on our market," Lut said.

She said there are already companies that are willing and want to work according to the new rules. "We have already had many negotiations, companies are prepared to go into localization with such an approach, from the start. And this is very important," Lut said.