MINSK, 5 September (BelTA) – Belarus' seed industry has made significant inroads into domestic agriculture, Belarus' Agriculture and Food Minister Igor Brylo told the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA's YouTube channel.
“Belarusian seed industry has occupied a considerable niche. Some 67% of seeds used this year on all fields were Belarusian seeds. This pertains to all crops: wheat, triticale, rapeseed, buckwheat, millet. If we look at statistics, we will see that across a number of crops, more than 80% of seeds are Belarus-made. We keep working on it. This is the pride of the country's science and manufacturing sector. This shields us against some external factors,” said Igor Brylo.
Yet, there are some crops which seeds cannot be cultivated in Belarus for climatic reasons. Sugar beet is a case in point. Therefore, sugar beet seeds have to be imported. Nevertheless, the percentage of domestically bred seeds in seed industry is increasing year to year. This is something to be proud of, the minister added.
Igor Brylo cited an example: “About 15 years ago, one could only dream of 70% of domestic corn seeds in the total seed fund. Virtually everything was imported, and we did not understand what we should undertake. Now we have a serious base. This is naturally about import substitution. This is a backbone of our efforts to maximize the share of domestically produced seeds, food, technology. This will fend us off and enhance the food security of the country,” he said.
