World meat industry news

Russia intends to accelerate the creation and implementation of competitive technologies in the agro-industrial complex. This is the purpose of the agreement signed on December 9 by the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute". 

It covers the assessment of the market prospects of existing scientific developments, the updating of educational programs in agricultural universities, the creation of unique technologies for the agro-industrial complex, including in the field of genetics and selection. Moreover, the work should be aimed at obtaining a specific result that can be quickly implemented in industry, said Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute".

On December 9, the cooperation agreement was signed by the head of the Ministry of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev and the president of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" Mikhail Kovalchuk. The document concerns the scientific and technical support for the development of agriculture.

Dmitry Patrushev noted that today the domestic agro-industrial complex fully ensures the food security of our country. In 2022, agrarians harvested a record grain harvest, and harvests for almost all crops increased. Improvements are also being made in animal husbandry.

“However, we all understand that in the face of new challenges, increasing import independence is of particular relevance,” the head of the Ministry of Agriculture emphasized. - For our industry, this is primarily selection and genetics. With this in mind, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, together with business, scientific organizations, universities and subordinate institutions, is building a system that will make the developments of scientists better, more cost-effective and, most importantly, in demand by farmers.”

According to Dmitry Patrushev, the agreement provides for cooperation in many areas.

“The institute will conduct an audit and evaluate the market prospects of the existing scientific developments,” the minister said. “We will also update educational programs in agricultural universities of the Ministry of Agriculture together. And, of course, given the highest competence of the Kurchatov Institute, it is planned to jointly develop unique technologies for the agro-industrial complex, including in the field of breeding and genetics.”

Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the NRC Kurchatov Institute, for his part, noted that the signing of the agreement is a fixation of those working relations that have already been established between the parties. The Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture have been working for many years to increase the competitiveness of the Russian agro-industrial complex. Back in the 1960s–1970s, it was the knowledge base stored at the institute that made it possible to create the microbiological industry, which became one of the most powerful in the world at that time.

According to Mikhail Kovalchuk, today about a third of the scientific potential in the field of biogenetic technologies is concentrated at the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute". The Institute, among other things, has unique biocollections, which are very important for the development of various branches of the agro-industrial complex.

“Food, like medicines, is today a matter of national security of the country,” said Mikhail Kovalchuk. - Many food products, such as wine, cheese, dairy products, are created by living bio-organisms that can be genetically tweaked. We need, on the one hand, to introduce strict and precise control over everything we import, and on the other hand, to build our own closed production cycles as much as possible. I am confident that we will solve this problem in a short time.”

The agreement will contribute to the accelerated creation and implementation of domestic competitive technologies in agro-industrial production. The Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture for 2017-2030 will also be able to be implemented more effectively, the parties who signed the document believe.

In particular, it is planned to cooperate in such areas as the development and scaling up of technologies for the production of crop seeds, breeding products, pesticides and agrochemicals, high-quality feed and feed additives, medicines for veterinary use.

“At the present time, the approaches, timing and organization of research should be aimed at obtaining a concrete result as soon as possible and bypassing complex bureaucratic barriers,” Mikhail Kovalchuk emphasized. - It should also be noted that the grain market in the world is practically unlimited, therefore it has huge export prospects. I am convinced that the agreement signed today will become the basis for obtaining important real results.”

Also, the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" will be engaged in the development of breeding centers, cooperation in the field of creating modern diagnostic tools and preventing the spread of pathogens of agricultural plants, the production of agricultural machinery and equipment, and partnerships in many other areas.