The West suddenly loosen the "life door" of Russia

Author:Global Times Time:2022.08.18

Editor's note: After the outbreak of the Russian and Ukraine conflict, the world -renowned pharmaceutical and agricultural enterprise Germany Bayer Group announced that it would stop the "all unnecessary businesses" in Russia and Belarus, including stopping the supply of various grain seeds. The move made the Russian seed industry over -dependence on the shortcomings of foreign supplies, and Russia encountered the Western "card neck". On Monday, Bayer suddenly announced that it resumed the necessary agricultural supplies for Russia, and some European agricultural companies also voiced their willingness to continue agricultural cooperation with Russia. What signal is this? Western companies have released Russia's "breeding door"?

Seed industry giant returns to the market

On August 15, Bayer, the world's largest seed and pesticide company, issued a statement on its official website that it had decided to continue to provide necessary agricultural materials to Russia. The move aims to "help prevent unprecedented food crisis." After the statement was released, Bayer's stock price rose.

This entitled "Bayer's Statement on Ukraine" is divided into two parts. The first part mainly describes the support and support of Ukraine. Bayer's goal is to continue to invest in the country in the next ten years. The second part of the Russian business stated that the company has decided to continue to provide Russia with the necessary medical care and necessary agricultural supplies, and the necessary agricultural materials include "the seeds of grain planting." The move aims to "help prevent unprecedented food crisis." But still suspend the "all non -necessary businesses" of Russia and Belarus. In March of this year, Bayer Group announced that it would stop the "all unnecessary businesses" in Russia and Belarus.

Bayer said: "We agree with the UN's point of view, that is, to obtain Ukraine's food exports and Russia's food and chemical fertilizers globally, it is essential for reducing the pressure of the global food system. Materials to ensure that they can contribute to meeting global needs. "Bayer also said that it has provided Russian farmers with agricultural supplies in 2022. It will decide whether to provide Russia with agricultural supplies for 2023 and subsequent agricultural supplies based on the development of Ukraine.

According to German media reports, Bayer has about 1,800 employees in Russia to provide GMO seed seeds to Russia, including corn, soybeans, rapeseed and wheat. The company also supports Russia's agricultural universities and research institutions to establish seed development research and teaching centers.

Russian agricultural enterprises are harvesting soybeans. Source: Visual China

In addition to Bayer, there are many agricultural companies in Germany to carry out business in Russia, of which seed companies provide nearly 100 seeds in Russia. According to information from the German Federal Foreign Trade and Investment Agency, Ekosem-Agra, a joint venture of German and Russian milk producers STEFAN Dürr, built a factory that produces corn seeds such as corn in Carsk, Russia. It has now become the largest seed production in Russia One of the merchants. German Strube provides Russia's seeds and hybrid seeds of beets, wheat and sunflowers. Seed producer Solana focuses on eating potatoes in Russia. KWS is building a seed production plant in the Lopezk area.

Russia "relieved"

Munich Agricultural Economist Juntedorf told the Global Times reporter on the 16th that this statement in Bayer must not only "appease" Ukraine, but also send a relaxed restriction on Russian seeds. It is believed that the West has released Russia's "seeds", which depends on the future trend of Russia and Ukraine. But he acknowledged that "Russia can be relieved for a while, because in recent days, EU countries have been discussing whether to prohibit agricultural goods such as seeds to Russia."

"Although Russia is reducing the dependence on European and American seeds in recent years, it still takes time." Juntedorf pointed out that about 60%of Russian corn seeds come from abroad, about 90%of potato seeds come from abroad, and beet seeds are almost almost almost almost almost nothing. Imported 100%, soybeans, sunflowers, etc. are also dominated by foreign seeds.

Local time on October 15, 2021, in the New Siberian region of Russia, local farmland harvested potato

Ma Wenfeng, a senior analyst of Dongfang Aig Agricultural Consultation Co., Ltd., told the Global Times reporter on the 17th that from Bayer's restoration of the seed supply to Russia, it can be seen that the impact of Russia and Ukraine's impact on agriculture has been eased. The market judgment of Russia and Ukraine cannot end in the short term, and the European Union and the United States have some relaxation of sanctions on Russia as a whole. Some companies want to take this opportunity to restore their commercial behavior in the Russian market.

Ma Wenfeng believes that Bayer's re -entering the Russian market does not show that the "card neck" problem in the Russian seed industry has been resolved. Agricultural breeding is a long -term continuous industry, and it is difficult to see results without long -term accumulation. "In fact, Russian grain production has indeed developed rapidly in recent years, but it is far lower than the production of Nordic countries with high latitudes." Ma Wenfeng said that the seed industry is an important factor in restricting the improvement of the production level. Various crops are generally reached the world's advanced level, and new results have been continuously emerged. Promoting the rapid development speed of the Chinese seed industry and crop output can explain that the problem of the "card neck" of the seed industry is resolved.

"Now Russian domestic seeds have a domestic share of about 63%. According to grain safety doctrine, Russia's self -cultivated seeds must have at least 75%." The Russian News reported this month that Russia is in wheat seeds (market share (market share "(market share" (market share " Ren 97%) is a leading position, but the situation of other crops is not optimistic. For example, foreign seeds in potatoes and beets occupy a huge share, reaching more than 90%, and more than 70%of sunflowers depend on imported seeds. Within the framework of the national plan, Russian breeders have achieved certain results. But Russian Minister of Agriculture Dimitri Patrueshev acknowledged at the end of July that the Russian seed industry is currently not enough. Russia needs competitive varieties and modern domestic technologies to carry out a full cycle of breeding and seed production. Satis Karakotov, general manager of Russia Schelkovo Agrokhim, said that in 2023, they provided 40%of beet seeds to China, reaching 75%in 2024, and are expected to achieve completely self -sufficient in 2030. At present, breeding materials have been withdrawn from Western sanctions on Russia. After Istanbul signed a food agreement, the West has much better situation in the agricultural field than other industries in terms of sanctions on Russia. But Russia will not give up the task of ensuring food security and reducing the industry's dependence on foreign seeds.

However, Karakotov also acknowledged that breakthroughs in the Russian seed market may require long -term development to achieve. Earlier, Russia's breeding field was developed with national support. Now it needs a market foundation. Only Russian farmers' long -term demand for domestic seeds can ensure the sustainability of results. In this way, Russia will gradually get rid of dependence on foreign seeds.

There are two benefits in combination, while fighting is two injuries

Tosten, a director of a agricultural trading company in Lower, Germany, told the Global Times reporter that, as a European agricultural company, of course, he hopes to continue to develop the Russian market, but he has to take care of the EU's overall policy to Russia. He believes that in general, agricultural enterprises, especially seed companies, still maintain a certain cooperation with Russia. Especially facing the global food crisis, it requires cooperation between Europe and Russia.

Local time on July 6, 2022, Russia, Rosteov, farmers are harvesting wheat

The German "Capital" magazine stated that Russia has been promoting agricultural self -sufficiency after 2000, and hopes to expand agricultural products into the second largest export pillar with oil and natural gas. So many international companies go to Russia to conduct business. From the beginning of the 1990s to 2020, Russian agricultural revenue increased by about 300 billion US dollars. At the end of 2021, Russia passed a new seed production method. The law stipulates the establishment of a seed traceability system and a national registered national registered album. The most important process of plant seed production, storage, sales, transportation and use, as well as their import and export process from Russia. This is also to prevent foreign seed crops from entering the Russian market disorderly. But since the conflict of Russia and Ukraine, the plan has stood up.

Germany's "Agricultural Today" magazine also recently stated that the Russian -Ukraine conflict has caused some blows in Russia's agriculture. Russian agricultural professional technology has insufficient in some fields. Sanctions will allow Russia to further restrict the trade with Europe and the United States. Sanctions on Russia imported seeds. If this happens, Russia's agricultural output will decrease significantly. But if it loses Russia's agricultural products, the global agricultural market will be severely damaged. In the end, Russia and the European Union will choose to cooperate in the agricultural field.

The screenshot is "Global Times" on August 18th edition article 11