MOSCOW, June 20 – PRIME. The risks associated with external sanctions pressure are paramount for the Russian agro-industrial complex, Sergei Mamedov, auditor of the Accounts Chamber, told RIA Novosti.

“In our opinion, the risks associated with external sanctions pressure are still a priority,” Mammadov said. According to him, the industry faces the traditional risk – natural emergencies – almost every year, and the authorities are taking measures to mitigate the negative consequences.

Of the risks associated with external sanctions, the most significant, according to Mammadov, are two: business adaptation to new production and logistics chains and the need to reduce import dependence on such important items as breeding, seed production and genetics.

“According to expert estimates, dependence on the import of hatching eggs reaches about 36%. In addition, self-sufficiency in seed material is 65%, and for crops such as sugar beet, corn, sunflower, import dependence ranges from 50% to 90%,” the auditor said. In addition, he also considers agricultural machinery and equipment, plant protection products and veterinary drugs to be critically important imported goods under the imposed sanctions.

Of the problems that the industry has to face, the most important are the logistics and efficient use of agricultural land: for example, in agricultural organizations over the past three years there has been a decrease in the number of tractors and combines by 4%, beet harvesters – by 9.5%, seeders – by 10.8%.

“In addition, in the agricultural sector, about 50% is made up of equipment with a service life of more than 10 years,” Mammadov said, noting that in the face of sanctions pressure, this issue requires special attention. As for abandoned agricultural lands, their area, according to expert data, reaches about 40 million hectares, another 44 million hectares are not used, and more than 70% of irrigation and drainage systems need to be modernized. (Google Translate).

A source: https://1prime.ru/Agriculture/20220620/837236022.html