How the Russian sugar beet seed market is developing

The article highlights the dependency of Russia's sugar beet industry on imported seeds, with domestic seeds accounting for only 2% of the market. To address the low domestic production, the government has increased the quota for importing seeds from unfriendly countries by 0.9 thousand tons for 2024, making up 70% of the country's required seeds for the 2025 sowing campaign. This decision is attributed to poor seed crop productivity due to adverse weather conditions. Local companies like SoyuzSemSvekla and Strube Rus are ramping up their seed supply to the market, with SoyuzSemSvekla aiming to reach 32% market share by 2025 and Strube Rus expecting quotas for 2025 to address the seed shortage. However, concerns are raised about the sustainability of high sugar beet production due to environmental factors and the need to offset imported seeds with domestic hybrids to ensure food safety and sovereignty. The article underscores the complexity of bringing new sugar beet hybrids to the market and stresses the importance of understanding the differences between varieties and hybrids in achieving higher crop viability and fertility.