Deputy Eduard Kuznetsov from the "United Russia" faction wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, asking to consider the issue of a complete ban on the export of original seeds of agricultural plants from the Russian Federation, according to TASS.
The letter notes that in recent years, foreign partners have shown great interest in the achievements of domestic science in the field of breeding and seed production of winter wheat. The deputy points out that especially important are the varieties included in the State Register of breeding achievements of Russia, which are authorized for use in production.
Foreign agrarians purchase elite varieties, but increasingly show interest in acquiring original (super-elite) seeds created using the latest advancements in domestic genetics and breeding science. They buy original seeds of winter wheat to cheaply obtain elite seeds for further grain production. According to Kuznetsov, such practice leads to the uncompensated loss of Russia's scientific intellectual property in the field of breeding agriculture.
The letter also notes that it is necessary to widely use original seeds of winter wheat in domestic agriculture to achieve high reproductive performance. The deputy points out that it is impossible to acquire original seeds of any crop in other countries, including those friendly to Russia. Western partners will never share their achievements as they consider them the intellectual property of the state.
Based on the above, the deputy asks Mikhail Mishustin to consider a complete ban on the export of original seeds of agricultural plants to ensure the development of the breeding industry, increase crop yields, and achieve production sovereignty.