On March 24, Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of the
Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, visited the Russian State Agrarian
University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. During the visit, a
working meeting was held on interaction in the field of agriculture within the
Eurasian Economic Union, which was attended, besides the Chairman of the
Commission’s Board, by Artak Kamalyan, Member of the Board – EEC Minister in
charge of Industry and Agriculture, Maxim Uvaidov, Deputy Minister of
Agriculture of the Russian Federation, and Vladimir Trukhachev, Rector of the
Russian State Agrarian University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy.
"Prospective development of the
EAEU agricultural sector is impossible without active involvement of the
scientific community," Mikhail Myasnikovich stressed. “We should strive to
ensure that the decisions and documents adopted by the Commission are given
scientific credence and scientists are guided in their research by the
priorities developed by the Commission and the Union countries."
The Head of the EEC Board proposed to think about
creating the EAEU association of agricultural universities which would prepare
field-specific recommendations, promote closer coordination of scientific and
academic circles with farm enterprises, consumers in the Union countries as
well as the Commission. Mikhail Myasnikovich mentioned an especial role of the
Russian State Agrarian University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in
this process with due regard to special status and long history of the
University. In turn, the EEC and the University will draft a specific plan for
interaction in the midterm.
According to the Chairman of the EEC Board, special
attention should be paid to issues of the EAEU food security. Today, the
Eurasian Economic Union as a whole is self-sufficient in basic food products.
However, according to the Head of the EEC Board,
further work should be continued not only to improve quantitative indices, but
also to pay attention to improving efficiency in the field of animal husbandry
and crop yields. It would also make sense to focus on the EAEU countries’
agricultural complementarity.
"There are many issues ahead
addressing which will serve the cause of integration. We should not go to our
national apartments. If we use the scientific potential, the legal acts we
adopt will contribute to deepening the Eurasian integration," Mikhail
Myasnikovich stressed.
According to Artak Kamalyan, EEC Minister in charge of
Industry and Agriculture, today it is important to form common approaches in
the EAEU for developing the academic mobility and cooperation between the Union
States’ universities. "The relevance of this area of cooperation is
determined by the fact that human capital and technological development are key
factors for steady economic growth and prosperity. The affordability and high
quality of education affect not only the economic growth, but also the shaping
of a progressive society," the EEC Minister noted.
It is assumed that the new initiated project will
provide an opportunity for students from the EAEU countries to study at leading
universities with the strongest specialization. "This interaction will
simultaneously contribute to making the Union itself more prominent. Moreover,
we will be able to not only solve professional issues in an efficient manner,
but also strengthen intercultural communication. We hope that the countries
will support this idea," Artak Kamalyan stated.
Prof. Vladimir Trukhachev, Rector of the Russian State
Agrarian University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy and Academician of
the Russian Academy of Sciences spoke on creating a world-class research center
"Agrotechnologies of the Future" and a breeding center in the field
of vegetable crops within the University as well as on activities of the
Timiryazev Academy’s engineering center.
Vladimir Trukhachev acquainted the guests with the
University's infrastructure and plans for the long-term development of the
Timiryazev Academy. According to the Rector, interaction with the Eurasian
Economic Commission will contribute to developing cooperation between the
Academy and other Russian agricultural universities and the EAEU States’
scientific and educational organizations.
The meeting attendees visited the Laboratory of
Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology of Vegetable Crops and the Williams Soil and
Agronomic Museum. Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of the EEC Board, proposed to install a
stand with soil samples from the EAEU countries in the Museum. He also made a
reminder note in the Museum’s book of distinguished visitors.
For reference
Nowadays,
the EEC elaborates the EAEU agroindustry development map, which includes
information on major investment and innovative projects in the field of the
EAEU countries’ agricultural sector, including for import substitution
purposes.
Developing
livestock breeding and reducing restrictions in mutual trade in breeding
products to increase competitiveness of the countries’ agricultural sectors and
reduce the import dependence is one of the key areas of the EEC's work in the
field of agriculture. This work has been contemplated by the Strategy-2025.
The
EEC, jointly with the Union States, works on forming a single market for
agricultural seeds.
Forming
uniform requirements for technical regulation of the manufacture and processing
of raw materials and food products is another important area as part of
ensuring the Union countries’ food security.
In
particular, uniform requirements have been established for food safety as a
whole and its individual types – fish and fish products, meat and meat
products, milk and dairy products, fat and oil products. The EAEU technical
regulations regulate the manufacture of agricultural and forestry equipment,
requirements have been established for mineral fertilizers and many other
items. Scientists from all the “five” countries are being involved in drafting
these documents.
Organic
agriculture becomes a promising economic driver of the EAEU agricultural
sector. The endowment of natural and human resources against the background of
the growing worldwide demand for environmentally friendly and high-quality food
products is a strategic advantage of the EAEU States.
According
to international organizations, the international turnover of organic products
was close to 130 bln dollars by 2020. With that in mind, the Union countries
now actively work on improving the regulatory legal framework for organic
production.
According
to analysis of the markets of core agricultural products and food for
2020-2021, the average annual surplus for grain will be 56.2 mln tons
(self-sufficiency ratio is 152.2%), all type meat – 62.7 ths tons (100.4%),
sugar – 8.7 ths tons (100.1%); vegetable oils – 3.4 mln tons (173.8%); and eggs
– 3.7 mln pieces (100.8%).
The Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural
Academy is one of the best-known universities in Russia, its history dates back
more than 155 years (founded in 1865). The University is a resource and
intellectual center of competence over the entire spectrum of agricultural
science, it has a status of the basic organization of Russia and the CIS
countries for training, qualification-based training and retraining of
personnel in the field of agricultural sector and agrarian education.