The ban on the import of “unfriendly” seeds to Russia has been extended until 2026

By a decree dated December 23, 2023, published on the official legal information portal, the Russian government extended the possibility of limiting the import of seeds of nine agricultural crops from unfriendly countries until the end of 2025, Interfax reports.

According to this decision, restrictions apply to seeds of potatoes, wheat, rye, barley, corn, soybeans, rapeseed, sunflower and sugar beets. Previously, seed imports could only be limited until the end of 2024.

The Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a list of crops for which seed imports will be limited, and the government approved it in June 2023. In December of the same year, the Ministry of Agriculture proposed introducing quotas on the import of potato seeds, malting barley, corn, rapeseed, sunflower and sugar beets from January 2024 to December 2024.

These measures are aimed at enhancing import substitution in the field of seed production, an important segment of agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture plans to flexibly regulate the volume of imported seeds and consistently reduce quotas over three years as domestic production develops and the need for seeds of each specific crop is assessed.