According to the latest data, the share of domestically bred sunflower seeds will exceed 50% this season.
Analysts note a more than twofold increase in this indicator in just a few years.
If in 2021 agricultural producers used no more than 21% of domestic seeds, now this is already half of the total volume.
For this reason, experts believe that the import substitution strategy is generally working and is already leading to specific results.
Some business representatives note that such indicators would have looked fantastic just a few more times, but now they have become reality.
Moreover: the Food Security Doctrine states that Russia should switch to using mostly domestic seeds in 2030, but for sunflower there is every reason to expect that this target indicator will be reached by about 2027, that is, much earlier.
At the same time, imports of foreign-produced seeds are gradually decreasing, which is largely facilitated by quotas established by the Ministry of Agriculture.
At the same time, as experts note, it was possible to overcome one of the most difficult stages associated with the claims of farmers about the quality of domestically bred seeds and the reluctance to switch to them, refusing imported analogues.
Currently, agricultural producers are actively testing various Russian hybrids, and breeding companies are actively conducting new developments, focusing, among other things, on feedback from purchasing companies.
Experts also note that government support is one of the most important drivers of breeding development.
Import quotas are precisely the measure that helped Russian companies pay attention to domestic developments in the field of seed production.
Now, most likely, there will be no return to the past, because businesses have managed to appreciate the decent quality of domestic products, and breeders have an impetus to continue their developments and improve the proposed varieties and hybrids, adapting them to the conditions that are specific to Russia.
One of the most important competitive advantages of domestically bred seeds is, of course, their price, analysts note.
And since the business marginality is largely ensured by reducing costs, import substitution in the future could provide significant support to Russian farmers, while ensuring their independence from imports and food security of the country.
