Russian producers suggest sunflower, corn seed import ban in 2024

MOSCOW, Aug 7 (PRIME) -- The Russian producers of seeds has suggested that the government ban imports of sunflower and corn seeds or set a zero import quota from October in order to cover the 2024 sowing campaign, representatives of seed producers told PRIME on Monday.

“Judging by the adjusted forecast for provision of corn seeds for the Russian agricultural sector during the 2024 sowing campaign, experts of the National Seed Alliance suggest suspension of imports of the F1 corn seeds to Russia starting from October 2023 or introduction of a zero quota on their imports,” Igor Lyubekh, chairman of the alliance’s council, told PRIME.

The forecast shows that demand of the Russian market for hybrid corn seeds will amount to 85,000 tonnes, and Russian companies are able to provide 81,200 tonnes. Taking into account the carry-overs, there is no need to import more foreign seeds, he said.

At the same time, Mark Gekht, managing partner at seed growing and selection company RUSEED, told PRIME that imports of sunflower seeds may also be banned next year.

The share of national sunflower seeds would rise to 50% in 2024 from 30% right now, and RUSEED alone is ready to produce 500,000 seed units of sunflower seeds in 2023, while market demand for the seeds amounts to 5 million seed units.

“The other players of the national market also plan to raise their production amounts. Data of RUSEED shows that Russian companies cultivated 20,000 hectares of hybridization sites for production of national seeds, and taking into account the expiation of production of seeds of foreign selection in Russia, we can think about complete suspension of imports of sowing seeds for sunflower and corn in the next agricultural season,” Gekht said.

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