Viral seedlings made in Europe: why Ukrainian farmers are losing crops and money

In Ukraine, the production of high-quality strawberry, raspberry and other berry seedlings is under threat, which may lead to a shortage of planting material, higher prices for products and dependence on imports. The reason is an initiative to seize land from scientific institutions of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, which for decades have been providing farmers with certified seedlings adapted to Ukrainian conditions, writes UNN.

Details

Have you ever wondered about the journey a berry takes before it ends up in your supermarket basket or at the market? Where does it all begin - with the seed, the field, the farmer's labor? Actually - even earlier. The idea to plant a new plantation begins with the selection of planting material. It is what determines what the berry will be - sweet or sour, resistant to diseases or infected with viruses, from domestic or imported planting material. But soon farmers, and after them we - consumers, may be left without such a choice, because Ukrainian research institutions of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, which specialize in the preparation of certified domestic planting materials grown in compliance with all technological standards, undergoing laboratory control and meeting the climatic conditions of Ukraine, are under threat of termination.

The risk of losing these opportunities is due to the fact that the State Property Fund of Ukraine systematically encroaches on agricultural land that is used by institutions and departments of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences. For scientists, this means the liquidation of field test sites where breeding research has been carried out for years, elite varieties of berry crops are grown, and plant resistance to diseases and climatic conditions is tested. The loss of these lands actually stops the relevant activities and leads Ukraine to dependence on expensive and often low-quality imports. However, European planting material is not only more expensive, but also often less resistant to Ukrainian conditions.

Prices for raspberry seedlings in Ukraine and the EU depend on the variety, quality and volume of purchase. For example, the approximate pricing policy for a raspberry seedling of Ukrainian production in the NAAS system is about UAH 60, and in the EU prices start from EUR 5 (UAH 238.83 at the NBU exchange rate), on average EUR 10-11 (UAH 477.65-525.42 at the NBU exchange rate). That is, imported seedlings can be 8-9 times more expensive compared to domestic ones. In addition, logistics, customs duties and adaptation of plants to local growing conditions and other costs will have to be added to the price, which significantly affects the cost of production and economic efficiency of cultivation.

Another important argument in favor of domestic seedling production is quality control and phytosanitary safety. For example, studies conducted by scientists of the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, showed that the raspberry bushy dwarf virus, which is often found in imported planting material, significantly reduces the drought resistance of plants. The experiments described in the journal "Horticulture" (2024) established that infected plants of the "Joan Jay" variety lost 35.6% more water than healthy plants, and the level of water deficit increased by 81%. This means that infected seedlings not only give a worse harvest, but are also much more vulnerable to drought - a critical factor in the context of climate change.

Thus, the use of imported seedlings, which are often not certified, is not just a risk of viruses, but a real threat to the harvest, the quality of berries and the stability of the entire agricultural sector. Instead, Ukrainian research institutions of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences provide a full cycle of cultivation: from the creation of new varieties to laboratory testing and adaptation of plants to our climatic conditions. In the case of imports, there is often no such control. Whether these scientific and production capacities will be preserved or destroyed depends on the decisions of today.

We remind

Earlier, experts warned that the seizure of land from the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences may lead to the complete decline of applied agricultural science. Not only experimental farms are under threat, but also unique scientific bases, breeding collections, field test sites and laboratories where new varieties of agricultural crops, including berries, have been bred for years.

The loss of these capacities will mean Ukraine's dependence on expensive imports and the loss of its ability to independently provide itself with high-quality planting material. This directly affects the country's food security, the development of berry growing and the competitiveness of the domestic agricultural sector.