Russia is increasing the share of domestic sugar beet seeds amid import substitution.

In the Russian Federation, significant attention is paid to the development of domestic sugar beet seed breeding, as this segment is the most dependent on imports among all agricultural crops, according to Rosselkhoztsentr.

Sojuzrossakhar reports that in 2024, it is planned to purchase over 10% of sugar beet seeds of Russian breeding out of the total volume of purchases, which is a significant increase compared to 2% in the previous year. Despite the stability of sown areas, domestic breeders have developed over a dozen new hybrids that are characterized by resistance to diseases and drought. By 2025, it is planned to increase their number to 40.

More than 16 thousand hectares of sugar beet are sown in the Rostov region. The government supports import substitution of seeds by providing subsidies covering up to 70% of the expenses for purchasing domestic breeding seeds.