Market Trends of russia forage seed Industry
Alfalfa is the major crop cultivated in the country due to its high nutritious value and high palatability to livestock
- The area under forage crops in Russia accounted for 2.6% of Russia’s row crops acreage in 2022, which increased from 1.16 million ha in 2017 to 1.19 million ha in 2022. The increase in the area is associated with the increasing fodder demand from the country's livestock industry and commercial dairy farms.
- Alfalfa is the major forage crop cultivated in the country. In 2022, it accounted for 93.2% of the forage crops area. This area expanded from 1.10 million hectares in 2017 to 1.11 million in 2022. The increase in acreage is due to alfalfa's exceptional capacity to produce abundant amounts of protein and attractive forage under various weather and soil conditions. Alfalfa is a cool-season legume. It is also more drought-tolerant than other cool-season species due to its deep root structure. Moreover, forage corn is the second major forage crop cultivated in Russia. The area cultivated for forage corn increased by 34.1% between 2017 and 2022 due to the rising demand by cattlemen, the meat industry, and the increasing livestock population in the country.
- Other forage crops and forage sorghum are the minor forage crops in the country; they accounted for only 1.5% and 0.5% of Russia's forage cultivation area, respectively, in 2022. These crops are sensitive to cold temperatures, especially during their early growth stages. In Russia, cold snaps and unpredictable weather patterns are common. This makes sorghum and other forages riskier than alfalfa and forage corn, which are more resilient to colder conditions.
- Therefore, increasing fodder demand from the livestock industry and commercial dairy farms in the country is estimated to drive the expansion of the forage cultivation area in the country.
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Alfalfa varieties with high protein, disease-resistance traits, and forage corn with early maturity and wider adaptability traits fueling the growth of the market
- Alfalfa and forage corn are the primary forage crops cultivated in Russia due to their importance as animal feed. Russian farmers are interested in growing disease-resistant alfalfa and forage corn to mitigate yield losses caused by diseases like Colletotrichum tritici, anthracnose, Verticillium wilts, and nematodes. As a result, companies such as Barenbrug, Euralis Semences, Limagrain, DLF, and KWS Saat are providing such varieties to offer disease resistance.
- Alfalfa with high protein content is the other major trait that farmers in the country largely prefer. The production of high-protein feed is the basis for the sustainable development of livestock. Due to the lack of fodder protein, the productivity of animals decreases, and the cost of production increases. Hence, it is highly important in livestock rearing in the country.
- Similarly, the production of alfalfa and forage corn is challenged by adverse climatic factors, such as drought and other stresses. The drought-resistant varieties are important for enhancing forage productivity. Therefore, these varieties are witnessing high demand because of the unavailability of irrigation water, frequent drought, and other major harsh conditions.
- Forage corn with high-yield protein, early maturity, and high starch content traits is experiencing high demand. In Russia, Limagrain company developed forage corn varieties with these traits to help growers achieve higher productivity, increasing the animal feed's nutritional value. Therefore, the seeds with traits such as disease resistance and wider adaptability that help prevent losses from biotic and abiotic stresses and increase productivity are fueling the growth of the market.
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OTHER KEY INDUSTRY TRENDS COVERED IN THE REPORT
- Hybrid breeding dominates the Russian forage seed market due to its ability to enhance the productivity, quality, and disease resistance of forage crops
