Russia Forage Seed Market Size and Share

Russia Forage Seed Market (2025 - 2030)
View Global Report

Russia Forage Seed Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence

The Russia forage seed market size stands at USD 44 million in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 52.52 million by 2030, reflecting a 3.60% CAGR over the forecast period. The measured expansion of the Russia forage seed market arises from the government’s import-substitution policy, rising livestock numbers, and continuous territorial cultivation. Persistent policy support has already lifted domestic seed self-sufficiency in 2024, with a formal target set for 2030. Precision agriculture tools, drought-tolerant hybrids, and new seed-processing plants underpin productivity gains, while emerging arable acreage in newly incorporated territories widens the geographic footprint of the Russia forage seed market. Climate volatility, higher input costs, and residual reliance on imported elite germplasm temper the pace of progress.

Key Report Takeaways

  • By breeding technology, hybrids led with 54.9% of the Russia forage seed market share in 2024; open-pollinated varieties expanded at a 3.76% CAGR through 2030.
  • By crop type, alfalfa accounted for 71.2% of the Russia forage seed market size in 2024, while forage sorghum posted the fastest 8.70% CAGR through 2030.

Segment Analysis

By Breeding Technology: Hybrid Leadership Broadens the Value Pool

Hybrids dominated with 54.9% Russia forage seed market share in 2024 and are set to post a 3.76% CAGR through 2030. Performance edge stems from consistent yields, drought tolerance, and tighter nutritive quality bands that align with intensive dairy rations. As credit access improves, mid-scale operations increasingly justify the higher ticket, nudging open-pollinated varieties toward budget-constrained niches. The hybrid segment's market size is projected to increase through 2030. Non-transgenic pathways attract R&D dollars given the country’s strict GMO curbs, while derivative lines combining hybrid vigor with lower royalty fees cater to cost-sensitive provinces.

Parallel investments in regional test plots and digital decision tools shorten the learning curve, reinforcing loyalty to branded hybrids. Certification audits under “Semenovodstvo” expose sub-par seed lots, indirectly steering demand toward suppliers with proven field data. Open-pollinated varieties still anchor emergency re-seeding due to affordability and immediate availability, yet their Russia forage seed market share drifts lower as farm-gate milk prices climb and management intensifies. Hybrid derivatives optimized for forage-specific traits, rapid regrowth, or enhanced lignin digestibility promise fresh revenue streams, especially once seed-processing upgrades allow on-site inoculation with rhizobia or bio-stimulants.

Russia Forage Seed Market: Market Share by Breeding Technology

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Get Detailed Market Forecasts at the Most Granular Levels
Download PDF

By Crop Type: Alfalfa Supremacy Faces Drought-Driven Sorghum Upswing

Alfalfa held 71.2% of the Russia forage seed market size in 2024. The segment benefits from irrigation build-outs and expanding silage bunk capacity, ensuring robust baseline demand. Forage sorghum’s 8.70% CAGR underscores a rising appetite for water-efficient alternatives that survive erratic rainfall. Hybrids boasting high sugar content and brown-midrib traits deliver respectable feed energy with 25-30% less water than corn, resonating in the Volga and Southern districts.

Forage corn remains a stalwart in mixed rations, yet its sensitivity to mid-season drought nudges some acreage to sorghum or sorghum-sudan crosses. Secondary crops like annual ryegrass and clovers address niche rotations but struggle for share as large dairies pivot to simplified feed systems. Russia forage seed market size allocated to alfalfa still expands in absolute terms, while sorghum’s fast clip gradually chips away at dominance in arid locales. Breeders leveraging dual-purpose cultivars, grain and forage position sorghum as a hedge crop, enhancing its agronomic appeal.

Russia Forage Seed Market: Market Share by Crop Type

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Get Detailed Market Forecasts at the Most Granular Levels
Download PDF

Geography Analysis

Russia forage seed market gravitates toward the Central, North Caucasus, Urals, and Volga federal districts, which jointly supply nearly three-quarters of national agricultural output. Central clusters funnel seed throughput into vertically integrated dairy chains that value high-digestibility alfalfa and precision-planted corn silage. North Caucasus farmers prioritize drought-tolerant sorghum variants, reflecting lower rainfall and shallow topsoil horizons. Urals and Siberia face shorter growing seasons, favoring early-maturing alfalfa and cold-tolerant grasses, albeit at lower per-hectare revenue compared with their southern peers.

Newly incorporated territories add roughly 1.6 million hectares of winter crops, offering upside once roads, storage, and credit unions materialize. Government inventory of idle land aims to reactivate another 31 million hectares nationwide by end-2025, potentially enlarging the Russia forage seed market by double digits mid-decade. Yet transport costs remain punitive in remote zones; hauling a truckload of seed from Krasnodar to Omsk adds over ex-works price, creating a moat for localized multipliers.

Regulatory uniformity advances via nationwide roll-out of the “Semenovodstvo” registry, ensuring traceability across oblast lines. Still, subsidy distribution diverges: Volga dairy centers receive preferential rate loans for hybrid alfalfa, while Far East districts focus on grain legumes for mixed-feed mills. Such heterogeneity compels seed firms to maintain region-specific portfolios and decentralized warehousing to capture dispersed demand pockets.

Competitive Landscape

Russia forage seed market exhibits fragmentation, with domestic firms scaling capacity under protectionist incentives and multinationals forming a good share of Russian-owned joint ventures to stay compliant. Bayer AG and Corteva Inc. leverage local field stations to adapt germplasm, whereas Kubanhleb Agroholding and Ruseed LLC expand processing lines to seize quota-displaced volumes. Strategic plays center on drought-hardy hybrids, with Ruseed releasing a sorghum hybrid delivering 18% higher dry-matter yield in low-rain trials.

 International entrants often cede volume but retain premium niches by bundling agronomic analytics and performance guarantees. Asset seizures such as AgroTerra’s 2024 case remind foreign investors of regulatory risk, prompting some to license genetics to local partners instead of retaining capital-intensive footprints. Domestic sunflower seed share under special technologies rose 14 percentage points to 26%, showcasing breeder capability gains[3]Source: ROSNG.RU, “Share of domestic sunflower seeds under special technologies rose,” ROSNG.RU . 

Digital differentiation accelerates: Kubanhleb’s mobile app links field imagery with seed recommendations, locking in repeat orders. Price competition eases as quotas thin grey-market imports, allowing branded hybrids to command 10% spreads over non-certified seed. Looking forward, competitive intensity will hinge on who best aligns with state self-sufficiency milestones, given that subsidy access increasingly rewards documented localization ratios.

Russia Forage Seed Industry Leaders

  1. Euralis Semences

  2. Groupe Limagrain

  3. KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA

  4. Royal Barenbrug Group

  5. Bayer AG

  6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Russia Forage Seed Market Concentration
Need More Details on Market Players and Competitors?
Download PDF

Recent Industry Developments

  • December 2024: Russian Government implemented comprehensive quantitative import restrictions on forage seed varieties from "unfriendly" countries through Order No. 1983, fundamentally restructuring supply chains for alfalfa, forage corn, and specialty legume seeds while creating protected market opportunities for domestic producers.
  • December 2024: Russia achieved 60% reduction in overall seed imports, with forage seed categories experiencing particularly sharp declines as domestic production capacity expanded and government localization incentives accelerated adoption of Russian-bred varieties across livestock farming operations.
  • February 2024: Russian Agricultural Sciences published research on variegated alfalfa selection programs targeting intensive varieties with enhanced fodder productivity, indicating sustained academic investment in forage breeding that supports domestic variety development and reduces reliance on imported genetics.

Free With This Report

We provide a complimentary and exhaustive set of data points on regional and country-level metrics that present the fundamental structure of the industry. Presented in the form of 90+ free charts, the section covers difficult-to-find data from various regions regarding the area under cultivation for different crops within the scope

Russia Forage Seed Market
Russia Forage Seed Market
Russia Forage Seed Market
Russia Forage Seed Market

Table of Contents for Russia Forage Seed Industry Report

1. INTRODUCTION

  • 1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
  • 1.2 Scope of the Study
  • 1.3 Research Methodology

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & KEY FINDINGS

3. REPORT OFFERS

4. KEY INDUSTRY TRENDS

  • 4.1 Area Under Cultivation
    • 4.1.1 Row Crops
  • 4.2 Most Popular Traits
    • 4.2.1 Alfalfa and Forage Corn
  • 4.3 Breeding Techniques
    • 4.3.1 Row Crops
  • 4.4 Regulatory Framework
  • 4.5 Value Chain and Distribution Channel Analysis
  • 4.6 Market Drivers
    • 4.6.1 Growth in Domestic Livestock and Dairy Production
    • 4.6.2 Government Seed-Self-Sufficiency Programs and Subsidies
    • 4.6.3 Adoption of Drought-Tolerant Hybrid Cultivars
    • 4.6.4 Precision-Agriculture Driven Variable-Rate Seeding
    • 4.6.5 Expansion of Arable Land in Newly Incorporated Territories
    • 4.6.6 Rapid Build-Out of Private Domestic Seed-Processing Plants
  • 4.7 Market Restraints
    • 4.7.1 Climate Volatility Requiring Costly Re-Seeding
    • 4.7.2 Escalating Fertilizer and Fuel Costs
    • 4.7.3 Ongoing Reliance on Imported Elite Germplasm
    • 4.7.4 Low Adoption of On-Farm Seed-Treatment Technology

5. MARKET SIZE AND GROWTH FORECAST (VALUE AND VOLUME)

  • 5.1 Breeding Technology
    • 5.1.1 Hybrids
    • 5.1.1.1 Non-Transgenic Hybrids
    • 5.1.2 Open Pollinated Varieties & Hybrid Derivatives
  • 5.2 Crop Type
    • 5.2.1 Alfalfa
    • 5.2.2 Forage Corn
    • 5.2.3 Forage Sorghum
    • 5.2.4 Other Forage Crops

6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

  • 6.1 Key Strategic Moves
  • 6.2 Market Share Analysis
  • 6.3 Company Landscape
  • 6.4 Company Profiles (Includes Global Level Overview, Market Level Overview, Core Business Segments, Financials, Headcount, Key Information, Market Rank, Market Share, Products and Services, and Analysis of Recent Developments).
    • 6.4.1 Advanta Seeds (UPL Ltd.)
    • 6.4.2 Bayer AG
    • 6.4.3 DLF Seeds A/S
    • 6.4.4 Euralis Semences
    • 6.4.5 Groupe Limagrain
    • 6.4.6 InVivo Group
    • 6.4.7 KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA
    • 6.4.8 RAGT Group
    • 6.4.9 Royal Barenbrug Group
    • 6.4.10 Corteva Agriscience
    • 6.4.11 Kubanhleb Agroholding
    • 6.4.12 Ruseed LLC
    • 6.4.13 Shchelkovo Agrokhim JSC
    • 6.4.14 Land O’Lakes Inc.
    • 6.4.15 S&W Seed Company

7. KEY STRATEGIC QUESTIONS FOR SEED CEOS

You Can Purchase Parts Of This Report. Check Out Prices For Specific Sections
Get Price Break-up Now

List of Tables & Figures

  1. Figure 1:  
  2. AREA UNDER CULTIVATION OF ROW CROPS, HECTARE, RUSSIA, 2017-2022
  1. Figure 2:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF MAJOR ALFALFA TRAITS, %, RUSSIA, 2022
  1. Figure 3:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF MAJOR FORAGE CORN TRAITS, %, RUSSIA, 2022
  1. Figure 4:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF ROW CROPS BREEDING TECHNIQUES, %, RUSSIA, 2022
  1. Figure 5:  
  2. VOLUME OF FORAGE CROPS SEED, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 6:  
  2. VALUE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 7:  
  2. VOLUME OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY CATEGORIES, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 8:  
  2. VALUE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY CATEGORIES, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 9:  
  2. VOLUME SHARE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY CATEGORIES, %, RUSSIA, 2017 VS 2023 VS 2030
  1. Figure 10:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY CATEGORIES, %, RUSSIA, 2017 VS 2023 VS 2030
  1. Figure 11:  
  2. VOLUME OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY HYBRIDS CATEGORIES, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 12:  
  2. VALUE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY HYBRIDS CATEGORIES, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 13:  
  2. VOLUME SHARE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY HYBRIDS CATEGORIES, %, RUSSIA, 2017 VS 2023 VS 2030
  1. Figure 14:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY HYBRIDS CATEGORIES, %, RUSSIA, 2017 VS 2023 VS 2030
  1. Figure 15:  
  2. VOLUME OF NON-TRANSGENIC HYBRIDS FORAGE CROPS SEED, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 16:  
  2. VALUE OF NON-TRANSGENIC HYBRIDS FORAGE CROPS SEED, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 17:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF NON-TRANSGENIC HYBRIDS FORAGE CROPS SEED BY CROP, %, RUSSIA, 2023 AND 2030
  1. Figure 18:  
  2. VOLUME OF OPEN POLLINATED VARIETIES & HYBRID DERIVATIVES FORAGE CROPS SEED, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 19:  
  2. VALUE OF OPEN POLLINATED VARIETIES & HYBRID DERIVATIVES FORAGE CROPS SEED, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 20:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF OPEN POLLINATED VARIETIES & HYBRID DERIVATIVES FORAGE CROPS SEED BY CROP, %, RUSSIA, 2023 AND 2030
  1. Figure 21:  
  2. VOLUME OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY CROP CATEGORIES, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 22:  
  2. VALUE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY CROP CATEGORIES, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 23:  
  2. VOLUME SHARE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY CROP CATEGORIES, %, RUSSIA, 2017 VS 2023 VS 2030
  1. Figure 24:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF FORAGE CROPS SEED BY CROP CATEGORIES, %, RUSSIA, 2017 VS 2023 VS 2030
  1. Figure 25:  
  2. VOLUME OF ALFALFA SEED, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 26:  
  2. VALUE OF ALFALFA SEED, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 27:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF ALFALFA SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY, %, RUSSIA, 2023 AND 2030
  1. Figure 28:  
  2. VOLUME OF FORAGE CORN SEED, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 29:  
  2. VALUE OF FORAGE CORN SEED, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 30:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF FORAGE CORN SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY, %, RUSSIA, 2023 AND 2030
  1. Figure 31:  
  2. VOLUME OF FORAGE SORGHUM SEED, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 32:  
  2. VALUE OF FORAGE SORGHUM SEED, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 33:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF FORAGE SORGHUM SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY, %, RUSSIA, 2023 AND 2030
  1. Figure 34:  
  2. VOLUME OF OTHER FORAGE CROPS SEED, METRIC TON, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 35:  
  2. VALUE OF OTHER FORAGE CROPS SEED, USD, RUSSIA, 2017 - 2030
  1. Figure 36:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF OTHER FORAGE CROPS SEED BY BREEDING TECHNOLOGY, %, RUSSIA, 2023 AND 2030
  1. Figure 37:  
  2. MOST ACTIVE COMPANIES BY NUMBER OF STRATEGIC MOVES, COUNT, RUSSIA, 2017-2023
  1. Figure 38:  
  2. MOST ADOPTED STRATEGIES, COUNT, RUSSIA, 2017-2023
  1. Figure 39:  
  2. VALUE SHARE OF MAJOR PLAYERS, %, RUSSIA

Russia Forage Seed Market Report Scope

Hybrids, Open Pollinated Varieties & Hybrid Derivatives are covered as segments by Breeding Technology. Alfalfa, Forage Corn, Forage Sorghum are covered as segments by Crop.
Breeding Technology
Hybrids Non-Transgenic Hybrids
Open Pollinated Varieties & Hybrid Derivatives
Crop Type
Alfalfa
Forage Corn
Forage Sorghum
Other Forage Crops
Breeding Technology Hybrids Non-Transgenic Hybrids
Open Pollinated Varieties & Hybrid Derivatives
Crop Type Alfalfa
Forage Corn
Forage Sorghum
Other Forage Crops
Need A Different Region or Segment?
Customize Now

Market Definition

  • Commercial Seed - For the purpose of this study, only commercial seeds have been included as part of the scope. Farm-saved Seeds, which are not commercially labeled are excluded from scope, even though a minor percentage of farm-saved seeds are exchanged commercially among farmers. The scope also excludes vegetatively reproduced crops and plant parts, which may be commercially sold in the market.
  • Crop Acreage - While calculating the acreage under different crops, the Gross Cropped Area has been considered. Also known as Area Harvested, according to the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO), this includes the total area cultivated under a particular crop across seasons.
  • Seed Replacement Rate - Seed Replacement Rate is the percentage of area sown out of the total area of crop planted in the season by using certified/quality seeds other than the farm-saved seed.
  • Protected Cultivation - The report defines protected cultivation as the process of growing crops in a controlled environment. This includes greenhouses, glasshouses, hydroponics, aeroponics, or any other cultivation system that protects the crop against any abiotic stress. However, cultivation in an open field using plastic mulch is excluded from this definition and is included under open field.
Keyword Definition
Row Crops These are usually the field crops which include the different crop categories like grains & cereals, oilseeds, fiber crops like cotton, pulses, and forage crops.
Solanaceae These are the family of flowering plants which includes tomato, chili, eggplants, and other crops.
Cucurbits It represents a gourd family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera. The major crops considered for this study include Cucumber & Gherkin, Pumpkin and squash, and other crops.
Brassicas It is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family. It includes crops such as carrots, cabbage, cauliflower & broccoli.
Roots & Bulbs The roots and bulbs segment includes onion, garlic, potato, and other crops.
Unclassified Vegetables This segment in the report includes the crops which don’t belong to any of the above-mentioned categories. These include crops such as okra, asparagus, lettuce, peas, spinach, and others.
Hybrid Seed It is the first generation of the seed produced by controlling cross-pollination and by combining two or more varieties, or species.
Transgenic Seed It is a seed that is genetically modified to contain certain desirable input and/or output traits.
Non-Transgenic Seed The seed produced through cross-pollination without any genetic modification.
Open-Pollinated Varieties & Hybrid Derivatives Open-pollinated varieties produce seeds true to type as they cross-pollinate only with other plants of the same variety.
Other Solanaceae The crops considered under other Solanaceae include bell peppers and other different peppers based on the locality of the respective countries.
Other Brassicaceae The crops considered under other brassicas include radishes, turnips, Brussels sprouts, and kale.
Other Roots & Bulbs The crops considered under other roots & bulbs include Sweet Potatoes and cassava.
Other Cucurbits The crops considered under other cucurbits include gourds (bottle gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, Snake gourd, and others).
Other Grains & Cereals The crops considered under other grains & cereals include Barley, Buck Wheat, Canary Seed, Triticale, Oats, Millets, and Rye.
Other Fibre Crops The crops considered under other fibers include Hemp, Jute, Agave fibers, Flax, Kenaf, Ramie, Abaca, Sisal, and Kapok.
Other Oilseeds The crops considered under other oilseeds include Ground nut, Hempseed, Mustard seed, Castor seeds, safflower seeds, Sesame seeds, and Linseeds.
Other Forage Crops The crops considered under other forages include Napier grass, Oat grass, White clover, Ryegrass, and Timothy. Other forage crops were considered based on the locality of the respective countries.
Pulses Pigeon peas, Lentils, Broad and horse beans, Vetches, Chickpeas, Cowpeas, Lupins, and Bambara beans are the crops considered under pulses.
Other Unclassified Vegetables The crops considered under other unclassified vegetables include Artichokes, Cassava Leaves, Leeks, Chicory, and String beans.
Need More Details on Market Definition?
Ask a Question

Research Methodology

Mordor Intelligence follows a four-step methodology in all our reports.

  • Step-1: IDENTIFY KEY VARIABLES: In order to build a robust forecasting methodology, the variables and factors identified in Step-1 are tested against available historical market numbers. Through an iterative process, the variables required for market forecast are set and the model is built on the basis of these variables.
  • Step-2: Build a Market Model: Market-size estimations for the forecast years are in nominal terms. Inflation is not a part of the pricing, and the average selling price (ASP) is kept constant throughout the forecast period.
  • Step-3: Validate and Finalize: In this important step, all market numbers, variables and analyst calls are validated through an extensive network of primary research experts from the market studied. The respondents are selected across levels and functions to generate a holistic picture of the market studied.
  • Step-4: Research Outputs: Syndicated Reports, Custom Consulting Assignments, Databases, and Subscription Platforms
research-methodology
Get More Details On Research Methodology
Download PDF