Mikhail Myasnikovich: "Prospective development of the EAEU agricultural sector is impossible without active involvement of the scientific community"

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%).