VIC Group participating in discussion on improving farm products quality and humane treatment of animals
On November 24, St. Petersburg hosted an expert discussion "In need of focus on the farm products quality and humane treatment of animals in agriculture as a point of economic growth and development across the regions of operation". Oleg Minkin, Director of the Livestock Distribution Development Division of VIC Group, highlighted the issue of development of farms and large agro-industrial complexes in the context of new geopolitical challenges.
The expert emphasized that the main development objective is ensuring the national product quality in agribusiness sector. He pointed out some challenges that hinder the maximum efficiency of accomplishing this task:
- staff shortage;
- import substitution issues of veterinary drugs;
- low investment appeal of the agribusiness sector;
- the issue of domestic breeding stock development.
Oleg Minkin commented that as of today agribusiness uses 67% of imported immunobiological preparations, 16% - produced by EAEU countries and 17% - of Russian production. The situation is more balanced in the group of chemical-pharmacological preparations: 51% of imported products against 49% of Russia-made products. As a solution to the import substitution problem he suggested including the enterprises, which together account for 88% of domestic production, in the list of backbone enterprises, and developing measures to accelerate the commissioning of new sites and veterinary drugs.
The expert also elaborated on the problem of building up the breeding pool: "There is a strong dependence on semen in pig breeding, and practically complete dependence on day-old chicks and hatching eggs. Joint projects with breeding reproduction farms from friendly countries should be formed and Russian experience should be applied".
The discussion was sponsored by the magazine "Expert. Analytical Center" and the National Center for analytics in the field of livestock "Modern Farm". The event was attended by representatives of agribusiness, public sector and public organizations, as well as veterinary experts.
